TREASURY

Civil Service Property

George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many items of civil service property within his Department are unaccounted for, broken down by type;
	(2)  if he will list the property belonging to his Department that has (a) been stolen and (b) been reported lost in each year since 1997, broken down by type of article.

Stephen Timms: Items recorded by the Treasury as lost or stolen are listed in the Following table.
	
		
			  Item Number/cost 
		
		
			 1997 Desktop computers 3 
			  Laptop computers 2 
			  Telephone answering machines 2 
			  Foreign currency £150 
			
			 1998 Laptop computer 1 
			
			 1999 Desktop computer 1 
			  Laptop computers 2 
			
			 2000 Laptop computer 1 
			  Disk drives 2 
			  Projector 1 
			
			 2001 Laptop computers 2 
			  Personal organiser 1 
			
			 2002 Desktop computers 2 
			  Laptop computers 22 
			  Monitors 3 
			  Safedial cards 5 
			  Projector 1 
			  Personal organisers 11 
			  CD writer 1 
			  Mobile phone 1 
			
			 2003 Desktop computer 1 
			  Laptop computers 9 
			  Safedial cards 2 
			  Personal organisers 2 
			  Mobile phones 3 
			
			 2004 Laptop computers 4 
			  Safedial cards 6 
			  Personal organiser 1 
			  Mobile phones 3

Departmental Entertainment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will list businesses and individuals entertained by him and his Department at public expense in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how much money his Department has spent on corporate entertainment in each of the last seven years.

Stephen Timms: In respect of the Treasury's spending on corporate entertainment, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr.Osborne) on 15 December 2004, Official Report, column 1084W. The details of the businesses and individuals entertained by the Department could be provided only at disproportionate cost, because this information is not recorded centrally in electronic form. All expenditure on official entertainment is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting".

Economic Statistics

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in which years since 1975 (a) interest rates and (b) mortgage rates have been lower than the current levels.

Stephen Timms: The Bank of England repo rate and the average mortgage interest rate reached their lowest points in 2004 and have remained below 1970s levels ever since.

EU Funding

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 9 December 2004, Official Report, column 653W, on EU funding, what the sum total is to date in real terms that has not been signed off by the Court of Auditors, broken down by year; and what the UK percentage share of the total EU budget was for each year.

Stephen Timms: pursuant to his reply, 11 January 2005, Official Report, c. 440W
	My earlier answer inadvertently contained some incorrect figures, for which I apologise. It should have read as follows:
	The figures for the years 1994 onwards (when the annual Statement of Assurance was introduced), showing the total for each year and the sum total to date, and the UK's percentage share, are as follows:
	
		
			  Total budget not signed off (£ million)(1) Percentage UK contribution(2) (Post-abatement) 
		
		
			 1994 43,903 10.00 
			 1995 51,627 13.64 
			 1996 58,388 11.56 
			 1997 52,055 11.86 
			 1998 51,286 15.24 
			 1999 49,896 13.43 
			 2000 47,952 15.76 
			 2001 46,719 9.59 
			 2002 49,161 13.07 
			 2003 60,854 11.92 
			 Total budget not signed off (1992 to 2003) 511,841  
		
	
	(1)Taken from data published in Table 1A of respective European Community Finances White Papers, less administrative expenditure (also less pre-accession aid expenditure in 2002). Latest White Paper (Cm 6134) (ISBN 0–10–161342–3) was published on 22 April 2004 and the figures for the period 1999 to 2003 have been taken from this.
	2Calculated from data published in European Commission Reports on the Allocation of EU Operating Expenditure.
	It is important to note that the failure of any part of the Community Budget to gain a positive Statement of Assurance does not mean that the whole of that part of the budget was misspent. Rather, it means that the European Court of Auditors found a number of errors in the small sample audited in any particular year.

EU Structural Funding

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on the net UK contribution to the EU of returning structural fund expenditure to national control for the 2007–13 funding period.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 18 January 2005
	The UK's proposals for reform of structural and cohesion funds for the period 2007–13 would not return structural fund expenditure to national control", but rather would focus EC funding on the poorest member states where it would have greatest effect, under an overarching EU framework.

Financial Services Industry

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on Government support for the financial services industry in the last financial year.

Stephen Timms: The financial services industry is a vital sector for the UK economy, contributing over 5 per cent. of total output and generating a trade surplus of £15.6 billion in 2003. The Government recognise the importance of this sector and take steps to maintain their competitiveness, both domestically and internationally, through a number of different routes; including principally by building and maintaining an effective regulatory model, especially in view of initiatives under the EU's Financial Services Action Plan (FSAP); encouraging a skilled work force; and, by delivering a strong, stable macroeconomic environment. In this context, the Government are committed to a dialogue with the financial services industry to ensure that FSAP and other measures are implemented in an effective, proportionate and consistent way.

Parliamentary Questions

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2005, Official Report, column 986W, on parliamentary questions, if he will break down the estimated cost of answering a parliamentary question into its component elements; and which costs relate to staff time.

Stephen Timms: Staff salaries (excluding the costs of Ministers and their private offices) account for 85 per cent. of the estimated cost and other overheads the remaining 15 per cent.

Psychiatric Patient Deaths

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many patients have died in psychiatric hostels in the west midlands in each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 27 January 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many patients have died in psychiatric hostels in the West Midlands in each of the last three years. (210798)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2003. Figures showing deaths of patients in psychiatric hostels are not separately available. Available figures are for deaths occurring in psychiatric institutions. Figures for the years 2001 to 2003 are given in the attached table.
	
		Deaths in psychiatric institutions(2), West Midlands(3), 2001–03(4)
		
			  Number of deaths 
		
		
			 2001 219 
			 2002 215 
			 2003 258 
		
	
	(2) Psychiatric institutions were defined as NHS and non-NHS psychiatric hospitals, psychiatric units and psychiatric security hospitals.
	(3) Deaths to residents of West Midlands Government office region.
	(4) Figures are for deaths occurring in 2001 to 2003.

Public Spending

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the total levels of spending on (a) the national health service, (b) education and (c) the criminal justice system in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Boateng: Total UK public spending on the national health service, education and criminal justice system, in 1997–98 and 2003–04, the latest outturn year, is shown as follows in real terms (2003–04 prices).
	
		
			  1997–98 (£ million) 2003–04 (£ million) Year-on-year real terms increase (percentage) 
		
		
			 National health  service 51,848 74,889 6.3 
			 Education 43,391 59,489 5.4 
			 Criminal justice 17,354 22,967 4.8 
		
	
	Source:
	Based on National Statistics release of 2 December 2004 (Pn 99/04) and latest GDP from 23 December 2004.

Red Diesel

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much red diesel was consumed in each month since the fuel duty rate provisions set in the 2003 Budget took effect; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much red diesel has been consumed in each month since the introduction of new fuel duty rates on 1 September 2004; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Hydrocarbon oils clearance figures are published by HM Customs and Excise in the Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin, a copy of which can be found on the UK Trade Information website www.uktradeinfo.com.

Red Diesel

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his target differential is between the prices of red diesel and road diesel; what further increases in duty levels he expects to make to meet this target; and when he expects that the target will be met;
	(2)  what assessment the Government have made of the impact of the recent rise in the duty on red diesel on (a) farmers, (b) the boating industry and (c) the plant industry; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Oils fraud has significant Exchequer costs. The narrowing of the duty differential is one component of a wider fraud strategy and there is no target rate. Decisions on duty rates are taken on a Budget-by-Budget basis by the Chancellor, who takes account of all relevant social, economic and environmental factors when deciding taxation policy. Decisions on duty rates will be set out in the Budget.

Unemployment

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the level of unemployment has been lower in any year since 1975 than the current level of unemployment.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 27 January 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about levels of unemployment since 1975. (211009)
	Consistent series for unemployment since 1971, based on International Labour Organisation definitions, show that since 1975, unemployment has been lower than its current level of 1,400,000 on seven occasions. In date order, these were:
	
		
			 Three months ending Level 
		
		
			 January 1976 1,343,000 
			 February 1976 1,363,000 
			 March 1976 1,379,000 
			 April 1976 1,392,000 
			 August 2004 1,387,000 
			 September 2004 1,380,000 
			 October 2004 1,388,000 
		
	
	Based on the same source, the unemployment rate has been lower than its current level of 4.7 per cent. on only one occasion. This was in the three months ending September 2004, when the rate was 4.6 per cent.
	These estimates are based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Estimates from 1992 are taken directly from the LFS, whilst figures prior to 1992 are modelled estimates consistent with the post-1992 LFS data. The LFS is a sample survey and, as with any statistical sample survey, results are subject to sampling variability.

Unemployment (Nottingham)

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were unemployed in the Nottingham, North constituency (a) in June 1997 and (b) on the last date for which figures are available; and how many of each were young people.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 27 January 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment in the Nottingham North Parliamentary Constituency. (211013)
	The attached table (1), gives estimates of the total number of unemployed people who were resident in the Nottingham North Parliamentary Constituency, for the twelve month periods ending February 1998 and February 2004, the most recent available period. The table also shows the number of those who were aged 16–24 years old.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) are, as with any statistical sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas. The attached table (2) gives the total number of claimants and those aged 18 to 24 years old, resident in the Nottingham North Constituency claiming JSA benefits in June 1997 and December 2004.
	
		Table 1: Unemployed people resident in the Nottingham, North parliamentary constituency
		
			 12 months ending February Total (aged 16 and over) Young people (aged 16–24) 
		
		
			 1998 6,000 2,000 
			 2004 2,000 (5)— 
		
	
	(5) Estimates not shown as they are potentially disclosive.
	Note:
	Some of these estimates are based on very small sample sizes and are subject to a higher degree of sampling variability. They should therefore be treated with caution.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey.
	
		Table 2: JSA claimants resident in the Nottingham, North parliamentary constituency
		
			  All claimants(6) Young people claimants (aged 18–24)(6) 
		
		
			 June 1997 3,945 1,000 
			 December 2004 2,130 745 
		
	
	(6) Computerised claims only; not seasonally adjusted.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system

VAT

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was raised from VAT on (a) alcohol and (b) tobacco in each of the last five years.

John Healey: Tobacco and alcohol duty revenue figures are published by HM Customs and Excise in the Tobacco and alcohol fact sheets, copies of which are available in the Library of the House and from Customs' website at www.uktradeinfo.com
	HM Customs and Excise do not collect data on VAT from individual goods or services.

TRANSPORT

Departmental Expenditure

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the cost of (a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department in each of the last two years.

Charlotte Atkins: For details of the cost of ministerial travel, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 January 2005, Official Report, columns 85–86W, by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office.
	The cost of taxis used by the Department in 2003 was £87,254.42, and in 2004 was £58,810.33. These figures refer to the central Department only, excluding the Agencies who do not record taxi costs separately. The information for the agencies could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

MOT

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the full rollout of the computerised MOT system began on 29 November 2004 as scheduled; what the projected date of completion of the rollout is; and if he will make a statement on (a) liability to penalties for delay to the rollout of the computerised MOT system incurred by Siemens Business Services (SBS) and (b) penalties issued to SBS by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency.

David Jamieson: The MOT computerisation programme did not roll-out as scheduled on 29 November 2004. Following the first phase of trials at MOT stations, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and Siemens Business Services have agreed to make further changes to trials and roll-out plans before moving to the final phase of trials at MOT stations. Consequently, the new service will be trialled over a longer period (10 weeks) and installed at a larger number of sites (4,000) before moving to live running. VOSA has always made it clear that the system will only go live when it is satisfied that, in all respects, it will provide a robust and effective service. In this we have the garage trade's full support. The final phase of trials will start on 7 February 2005 and we expect the system to have been installed at all MOT garages by end October 2005.
	Liability issues being discussed with Siemens Business Services are commercially confidential.

Railways

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will allow community rail partnerships to have powers to re-open dismantled railway lines and operate the railway; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I refer my hon. Friend to the response given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Charlotte Atkins) during the Adjournment Debate on the Colne to Skipton Railway line" on 12 January 2005, Official Report, column 132WH.

Roads

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what criteria he uses to determine whether a road has (a) national and (b) regional significance;
	(2)  whether (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have visited Hindhead to assess the proposals for the A3 Tunnel; and what factors led him to decide that the A3 between Portsmouth Harbour and London did not have national significance.

David Jamieson: The Government's consultation paper—Devolving Decision Making: A Consultation on Regional Funding Allocations"—set out our proposals to establish regional transport funding allocations. The consultation paper explained that funding decisions on routes of national and international significance would continue to be made on a national basis. To be regarded as such, a route has to satisfy all of the following criteria:
	To have average daily traffic flows, along the length of the route, of more than 60,000 vehicles
	To link at least two of the top 20 English cities by population; or link one of the top 20 cities with an airport/seaport or Wales/Scotland
	To carry heavy goods vehicle traffic equal to or in excess of 15 per cent. as a percentage of all traffic, as an average along the length of the route
	To be represented on the European Union's trans-European transport network
	In some marginal cases we applied these criteria with a degree of flexibility. However, the A3 satisfies just one of the criteria: it provides a link between London and the port of Portsmouth. Consequently, for the purposes of future regional decision-making, the consultation paper proposes that it should be regarded as a route of regional significance.
	The current ministerial team and I have not visited Hindhead, but we appreciate that improvement of the A3 at this site will deal with a significant bottleneck. We have attached high priority to developing a scheme that will resolve the traffic problems while keeping to a minimum the impact on an area that is environmentally sensitive.
	Draft Orders for the A3 Hindhead tunnel scheme together with Notices of Intention to grant exchange land certificates published by ODPM/DEFRA, were first published in October 2003. Revised proposals for part of the scheme were subsequently published in May 2004 and are currently being considered at a public inquiry, which started on 7 September.
	The public inquiry has concluded much of its anticipated business but adjourned on 15 December until 15 February 2005 in order that the Inspector can hear reaction to further minor proposals that were republished on 17 December.
	It remains our intention to implement the scheme at Hindhead, subject to completion of the necessary statutory procedures including consideration of the Inspector's report and recommendations. However, in view of the cost of the scheme and available resources it has been necessary to programme it for implementation in the period beyond 2007–08.

Staff Vacancies

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on advertising staff vacancies in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department for Transport has only been in existence since May 2002.
	The Department uses the most appropriate publication for recruitment advertising, be it national, regional, trade magazine or website, depending on the nature of the vacancy.
	The following are details of the costs incurred by DfT (Central) for recruitment advertising below senior civil service, and the costs of advertising jobs at senior civil service level for all parts of DfT (i.e. including the Department's Executive Agencies).
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2002–03 241,868.87 
			 2003–04 403,605.10 
		
	
	Advertising costs for recruitment below senior civil service in DfT's Executive Agencies are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 VOSA  
			 2002–03 (VI costs only) 326,503.00 
			 2003–04 530,267.00 
			   
			 DVLA  
			 2002–03 179,497.09 
			 2003–04 179,010.50 
			   
			 MCA  
			 2002–03 150,502.97 
			 2003–04 218,251.07 
			   
			 HA  
			 2002–03 572,684.36 
			 2003–04 471,313.26 
			   
			 VCA  
			 2002–03 20,632.00 
			 2003–04 1,600.00 
			   
			 DSA  
			 2002–03 128,000.00 
			 2003–04 502,000.00

Transport Pathfinders

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities have been selected as transport pathfinders; what the objectives are of such schemes; and what the costs are of implementing them.

Charlotte Atkins: 10 local authorities have been selected as transport pathfinders, these being the county councils for Devon, Durham, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex, along with Halton and High Peak borough councils, Nottingham city council and the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority.
	The scheme's objectives are to develop and disseminate good practice and innovation related to the shared central/local government priorities for transport—improving public transport and access to jobs and services, while reducing congestion, pollution and road safety problems.
	The project is a partnership between the selected local authorities, the Local Government Association and the Department for Transport. The DfT is contributing 100,000, primarily towards disseminating the lessons learnt by the pathfinders.

Uninsured Motorists

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's latest estimate is of the number of uninsured motorists driving on public roads; and what this figure is as a percentage of all drivers.

David Jamieson: Estimates from the Insurance industry are that about 5 per cent. (approximately 1.25 million) motorists drive while uninsured.
	I commissioned Professor David Greenaway of Nottingham University to carry out a review of motor insurance arrangements in the UK to see what could be done to tackle the problem. Publication of his report was on 11 August and we set up an implementation board in September to see that action follows.
	Working jointly with the insurance industry we now plan to introduce legislation, improve procedures and design education, publicity and enforcement programmes to drive down uninsured driving.
	These build on measures I announced last year to significantly tighten the vehicle registration and licensing system.
	The first steps have already begun. Firstly the inclusion of a provision in the Road Safety Bill for improved Police access to the Motor Insurance Database; and secondly provision in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill of a power for the Police to seize vehicles being driven uninsured. Both will significantly improve the detection and enforcement capabilities of the police.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Common Agricultural Policy

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's latest estimate is of the cost of the Common Agricultural Policy to the average family per week in grocery prices; and what the cost was in 1997.

Alun Michael: The consumer cost of the Common Agricultural Policy can be estimated by examining the difference between UK and world prices for agricultural food products. Our latest estimate for 2002 shows a cost of the CAP, to a notional family of four, due to higher food prices, of around £4.75 per week. Using the same methodology we estimate that the cost in 1997 would have been around £5.50.

Emissions Trading Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the capacity the present economic value attributed to permits under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme has to lead to environmentally beneficial changes of behaviour.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 25 January 2005
	Allocations at the EU level are estimated to be approximately 50 million tonnes of CO 2 below the projected emissions during phase 1, on the basis of the national allocation plans agreed by the Commission so far. The prevailing permit price in the market could be interpreted to represent the abatement cost to achieve this level of emission reductions.
	For the UK, analysis by the DTI of the power station sector indicates that, during phase 1 of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (2005 to 2007) reductions of around 4MtCO 2 per annum could be achieved at a carbon price of around €5 per tonne of CO 2 . This price is lower than that which has recently prevailed in the market. It is possible however that there may be physical limitations on the amount of achievable savings in the near term.
	It is possible that, in the longer term, emissions could be reduced by around 7MtCO 2 per annum at a carbon price of €10 per tonne CO 2 .
	The analysis suggests that the modelled responsiveness is very sensitive to certain background assumptions, including the assumed gas to coal price differential, as well as the price of carbon itself.
	A summary of the analysis was published in November 2004 as part of a DTI report on Updated Emissions Projections. Carbon price analysis can be found at annex 7 of the report.
	The report is available electronically: http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/uep2004.pdf.

External Suppliers

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tenders were let by her Department to external suppliers in the financial year 2003–04; and what the value was.

Alun Michael: From information held centrally, and for the financial year 2003–04, the Department let 761 tenders to external suppliers with a financial value of £296 million.

Farm Payments

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from what budget she plans to make good the shortfall between the compensation for the foot and mouth outbreak requested from the EU and the amount received in order to make the necessary compensation payments to farmers.

Ben Bradshaw: The control and eradication of foot and mouth disease in 2001 was paid for out of HM Treasury's reserve. The cost of lower than anticipated EU receipts will be borne by the Exchequer.

Flood Prevention

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her officials have undertaken into the preparation and implementation of the 2004 German flood protection legislation.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 25 January 2005
	My officials have not undertaken any direct research into the 2004 German Flood Control Act. However the Five-Point Programme, the framework upon which the legislation is based, adopts a similar approach to that taken in England on flood risk management. In particular:
	Joint Federal Government/Lander flood defence programme.
	This includes measures such as 'letting rivers spread out more' and controlling settlement development. In England we have recently consulted on a new strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management—'Making Space for Water', and have Planning Policy Guidance (PPG 25) to inform development decisions in flood risk areas.
	Transnational Action Plans.
	In particular this emphasises the need for flood defence measures to be progressed on a catchment area basis. Catchment Flood Management Plans are already well under way for the whole of England.
	Progressing European co-operation.
	The UK welcomes closer co-operation with Europe on such things as sharing information and best practice and undertaking joint research. Along with all member states, the UK adopted the European Flood Action Plan in 2004.
	Immediate measures to improve flood defences.
	The Five Point Programme includes a commitment to increase funding on flood defences, the appraisal of emergency planning arrangements and improved flood warning systems. Following the 2000 floods in England the Government increased funding significantly, from £310 million in 1996–97 up to a provision of £570 million in 2005–06; revised the Lead Department Plan on flooding and tested its effectiveness in June 2004 as part of Exercise Triton; and has recently approved the Environment Agency's new £226 million Flood Warning Strategy.

Growth Antibiotics

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her policy to seek to ban the use of antibiotics where the object is to promote farm animal growth.

Ben Bradshaw: Article 11.2 or Regulation (EC) 1831/2003 introduces a ban on the sale and use of antibiotic growth promoters from 1 January 2006.

Oil Contamination

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many oil-related pollution incidents have occurred in each year since 1995 that were caused by leakage or spillage (a) from domestic oil tanks and (b) on industrial, commercial, agricultural or institutional premises.

Elliot Morley: A table showing oil pollution incidents by premises type for the years 2001–03 is shown. Data for 2004 is not yet available and it is not possible to provide this breakdown for the period 1995–2000. However, overall figures for all oil pollution incidents show a significant decline since 2000 as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1995 6,025 
			 1996 5,587 
			 1997 5,542 
			 1998 5,308 
			 1999 5,381 
			 2000 6,215 
			 2001 5,684 
			 2002 5,217 
			 2003 4,656 
		
	
	
		Incidents in 2001 and 2002 where pollutant is Oils and Fuelsby premise type
		
			  Total incidents 
			 Premises type 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Incidents that had an impact on water (either Cat 1, 2 or 3) 
			 Agriculture 81 141 107 
			 Domestic and residential 184 311 231 
			 Manufacturing 125 180 138 
			 Other source 104 136 120 
			 Power generation and supply18 35 21 
			 Premises type not identified 48 53 30 
			 Public administration 15 21 24 
			 Retail sector 78 88 80 
			 Service sector 107 170 123 
			 Transport 343 467 371 
			 Waste management 18 43 38 
			 Water industry 36 49 63 
			 Total 1,157 1,694 1,346 
			 
			 Category 1 incidents to water 
			 Agriculture 0 2 0 
			 Domestic and residential 0 2 3 
			 Manufacturing 0 1 4 
			 Other source 0 1 0 
			 Power generation and supply0 0 1 
			 Not identified 1 0 0 
			 Public administration 0 1 0 
			 Retail sector 2 0 2 
			 Service sector 0 4 1 
			 Transport 0 2 3 
			 Waste management 1 0 0 
			 Water industry 0 1 4 
			 Total 4 14 18 
			 
			 Category 2 incidents to water 
			 Agriculture 9 9 8 
			 Domestic and residential 15 9 11 
			 Manufacturing 12 14 7 
			 Other source 5 10 6 
			 Power generation and supply0 2 1 
			 Not identified 2 0 0 
			 Public administration 4 2 6 
			 Retail sector 9 3 7 
			 Service sector 11 19 13 
			 Transport 18 16 16 
			 Waste management 0 4 3 
			 Water industry 0 5 2 
			 Total 85 93 80 
			 Number of incidents where premises not known 1,489 1,879 (Cat 1=5, Cat 2 =40) 1,743 (Cat 1=3, Cat 2 =41)

PM Group plc

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Minister of State for the Environment and Agri-Environment has visited the Bradford-based manufacturing facility of PM Group plc.

Elliot Morley: In the answer given to the hon. Member on 16 September 2004, Official Report, column 1678W, I noted that I had accepted an invitation to visit the PM Group plc's manufacturing facility. Owing to other commitments, that visit has not taken place. Instead, I will be meeting shortly in London, with representatives of the group for a demonstration of their waste weighing systems.

Recycling

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) local authorities and (b) other stakeholders on how to encourage businesses to recycle their waste.

Elliot Morley: Ministers hold regular discussions with local authorities and other stakeholders on the whole range of waste issues, including the recycling of business waste.
	For example I recently met the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Packaging (a group representing the packaging industry) and representatives from material organisations, trade associations, packaging compliance schemes and individual businesses.
	Currently, the Government are consulting on new draft guidance for local authorities on the preparation of municipal waste management strategies. This guidance makes clear that local authorities, in their role as community leaders, may be able to encourage more sustainable management of waste in other sectors and should consider, in drafting their strategy, where there may be benefits from aligning municipal waste management services with the treatment of waste from other sectors.

Recycling

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department has taken to encourage the recycling of commercial waste.

Elliot Morley: The Government are taking a number of measures to encourage the recycling of commercial waste.
	From 2005–06, landfill tax for active waste will increase by a minimum of £3 a tonne, to a medium to long-term rate of £35 per tonne. This will make recycling financially more attractive.
	Additional revenue generated from the landfill tax will be redistributed to business through the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) programme to encourage and support resource efficiency, waste minimisation and diversion of waste away from landfill.
	The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended) require producers to recover and recycle specified tonnages of packaging waste each year, so a significant amount of commercial waste is already being recycled to meet packaging targets.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) promotes resource efficiency, with a particular focus on creating stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products and removing the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.
	The forthcoming batteries directive will require all types of waste batteries, including those in the commercial waste stream, to undergo a recycling process.

Slaughter

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received advocating compulsory pre-stunning before any type of religious slaughter.

Ben Bradshaw: This is an issue in respect of which the Department regularly receives representations. Most recently, in response to consultation on the Government's draft response to the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of red meat animals at slaughter and killing, Defra received 26 responses advocating pre-stunning before all slaughter.

Slaughter

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance her Department gives to abattoirs concerning stunning prior to religious slaughter.

Ben Bradshaw: The law permits animals to be slaughtered without stunning to provide food for certain religious communities. The Department does not provide specific advice to abattoirs. Guidance to Official Veterinary Surgeons (OVS) advises that, wherever possible, provision for stunning should be encouraged. This may be stunning before slaughter or an immediate post-cut stun. This guidance should be available to abattoirs through the OVS.

Slaughter

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals slaughtered for (a) halal and (b) kosher meat were not stunned in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the number of animals slaughtered for halal and kosher meat is not collected routinely. It has been gathered biennially by the Meat Hygiene Service on behalf of Defra, as part of the Animal Welfare Review.
	The latest Animal Welfare Review was published in March 2004. The review reports on one week of slaughtering practices. In the period 1–7 September 2003, the following animals were slaughtered without stunning.
	
		
			  Kosher Halal 
		
		
			 Cattle 726 — 
			 Calves 16 — 
			 Young lambs 1,704 5,141 
			 Other sheep — 11,454 
			 Goats — 62

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what condition each site of special scientific interest (SSSI) was in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area; and what the total land areas of SSSIs was in each category (a) in England and (b) broken down by local authority area in each year.

Ben Bradshaw: The condition of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) is assessed not on a site-by-site basis but by each of the more than 22,000 management units into which they are divided. English Nature's first full condition assessment cycle was not completed until March 2003. The condition of SSSI land as recorded by the most recent assessments at that date and in March 2004 is shown as follows. A breakdown by local authority area is not available.
	
		Area (hectares)
		
			  March 2003 March 2004 
		
		
			 Favourable 461,474.14 492,074.85 
			 Unfavourable recovering 135,968.49 182,957.08 
			 Unfavourable no change 270,977.20 246,120.35 
			 Unfavourable declining 178,714.05 151,537.08 
			 Part destroyed or destroyed 2,252.59 1,192.13 
			 Total 1,049,386.47 1,073,881.49

Waste Collection (Charging Schemes)

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the work that her Department has undertaken on extending the powers of local authorities to allow the piloting of variable charging schemes for household waste collection and disposal as recommended by the Strategy Unit in the report Waste Not, Want Not.

Elliot Morley: The Department's work on variable household charging and household incentives for waste recycling and reduction is based on the body of existing, publicly available, research, supplemented by investigation into specific examples of such activity.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Census Records

Mike Hancock: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2005, Official Report, column 632W, on census records, if he will seek (a) the advice of the National Archives, (b) a legal opinion and (c) the advice of the Advisory Council on Public Records and Archives on how the Freedom of Information Act 2000 relates to the closure or release of decennial population census returns for England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: The Freedom of Information Act 2000 came into effect on 1 January 2005. The Act is still in the early days of implementation, and it is important that requests for access to information should be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis. I do not, therefore, intend to seek advice about its general operation in relation to decennial census returns at this time.

Data Protection (Loyalty Cards)

John Pugh: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs if his Department will make an assessment of the data protection implications of the use made by supermarkets of data collected through loyalty cards.

Christopher Leslie: The use of personal data obtained by supermarkets in loyalty card schemes is subject to the regulatory framework set out in the Data Protection Act 1998. If any person believes that their data are being used in ways which infringe the framework, they can apply to the Information Commissioner for an assessment to be made of the circumstances.

Divorced/Separated Parents

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs what the reasons were for the decision not to make negotiation compulsory in disputes between divorced or separated parents.

Christopher Leslie: The Government published Parental Separation: Children's Needs and Parents' Responsibilities, Next Steps" on 18 January, which sets out plans to implement a range of measures to help separating parents in dispute about future parenting arrangements, reach agreement.
	The Government's plans include improvements in the information available to parents and greater use of methods such as the Collaborative Law model, mediation, in-court conciliation and the Family Resolutions Pilot Project. The Government intend strongly to promote these methods as better ways to reach agreement than through contested court hearings. All publicly funded clients will have to show that they have considered mediation. Lawyers will not be funded by legal aid if out of court settlement is not reached under the collaborative law scheme. In addition, the Government, senior judiciary and Rules Committee plan to review court rules and practice directions so that the strongest possible encouragement is given to parties to participate in forms of dispute resolution.
	We do not plan to make these schemes compulsory in every case, as an essential part of the process is that people come to them voluntarily and are therefore willing to participate. Further, in some cases, including those where domestic violence has been an issue, it would not always be appropriate to impose mediation on separating parents.

PRIME MINISTER

Iraq

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of preparations for the forthcoming elections in Iraq.

Tony Blair: Both the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) and the UN remain confident that technical preparations are on schedule to meet the 30 January timing for elections. 111 groups, with over 7,000 candidates, are registered to contest the national elections. A further 12,000 candidates will contest the provincial elections.
	Recent polling data indicates that the majority of Iraqis want to vote. Security for the elections will of course be vital. The IECI and the Iraqi authorities, with the multi-national forces, are working hard to ensure security in all areas to achieve the broadest possible participation.
	To date, the IECI has accredited 12,400 Iraqi election observers to ensure that elections are free and fair. In addition, the International Mission for Iraqi Elections (IMIE), an initiative established by the Canadian Electoral Commission, will carry out a technical assessment of the elections.

Nuclear Proliferation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Iranian Government and (b) North Korean Government on nuclear weapons.

Tony Blair: holding answer 26 January 2005
	I discussed a range of issues with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Dr. Kamal Kharrazi on 22 April 2004 including Iran's nuclear programme. I have had no contact with members of the North Korean Government.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Building Regulations

Andrew Love: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he has taken to ensure that the standard assessment procedure for revised building standards accurately predicts carbon dioxide emissions; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Trade and Industry to ensure that the basis of the Standard Assessment Procedure and the data sets it calls for are as accurate as possible.

Building Regulations

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the compliance of house builders with the 2002 Building Regulations standards concerning energy efficiency.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned airtightness tests on 55 new dwellings built in compliance with the 2002 requirements and it subsequently received from The Energy Saving Partnership for Homes the results of a further 99 similar tests on other new dwellings. The results of these tests were unsatisfactory and reinforced more general concerns about compliance with the Building Regulations energy efficiency requirements. These influenced the proposals for further amendments published last July and the ongoing work on better guidance, dissemination and training for house builders and others.

Fire Service

Michael Clapham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what amendments have been made to the guidance contained in the Fire Service Circular No. 3/1995 since its publication.

Nick Raynsford: No amendments have been made to the Home Office Guide To Fire Safety Planning And Management For Local Authority Fire Brigades", which accompanied Fire Service Circular No. 3/1995.

Fire Service

Michael Clapham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) fire certificates have been (i) issued and (ii)amended and (b) exemptions from requirement to hold a fire certificate have been granted under the terms and conditions of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 by each fire and rescue authority in England and Wales in each year since 1999; and how many applications for the (A)issue and (B) amendment of a fire certificate by each fire and rescue authority were outstanding on 31 December 2004.

Nick Raynsford: The number of fire certificates issued under the terms and conditions of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 by each fire and rescue authority in England and Wales in each year since 1999 are tabled as follows:
	
		Number of Fire Precautions Act certificates issued in 1999–2000 to 2003–04
		
			 Fire and Rescue Service 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Avon 48 38 78 40 13 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 20 31 27 16 7 
			 Buckinghamshire 101 76 66 52 38 
			 Cambridgeshire 78 51 43 46 30 
			 Cheshire 60 43 46 37 30 
			 Cleveland 65 29 17 18 8 
			 Cornwall 59 35 19 37 44 
			 County Durham and Darlington 23 25 15 24 3 
			 Cumbria 36 26 31 30 39 
			 Derbyshire 75 52 33 36 24 
			 Devon 108 128 71 49 66 
			 Dorset 76 70 52 73 44 
			 East Sussex 28 26 28 22 29 
			 Essex 77 135 139 113 125 
			 Gloucestershire 140 137 177 130 99 
			 Greater Manchester 187 129 149 115 113 
			 Hampshire 50 51 64 118 61 
			 Hereford and Worcester 61 29 51 25 27 
			 Hertfordshire 59 28 46 80 53 
			 Humberside 103 70 59 62 46 
			 Isle of Wight 15 9 2 3 6 
			 Isles of Scilly 1 0 0 2 1 
			 Kent 107 84 76 67 39 
			 Lancashire 93 58 81 38 39 
			 Leicestershire 50 32 23 13 19 
			 Lincolnshire 15 12 21 5 18 
			 London 602 463 418 300 272 
			 Merseyside 54 70 86 26 34 
			 Mid and West Wales 99 85 55 55 31 
			 Norfolk 31 37 38 25 23 
			 North Wales 44 74 29 22 11 
			 North Yorkshire 75 38 43 54 29 
			 Northamptonshire 14 20 25 19 15 
			 Northumberland 10 8 5 6 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 74 43 26 25 23 
			 Oxfordshire 87 50 28 29 22 
			 Royal Berkshire 48 56 62 52 72 
			 Shropshire 18 18 25 17 9 
			 Somerset 27 21 54 29 12 
			 South Wales 89 84 57 64 41 
			 South Yorkshire 50 41 73 71 53 
			 Staffordshire 89 78 51 41 24 
			 Suffolk 14 30 14 9 29 
			 Surrey 73 104 94 26 41 
			 Tyne and Wear 67 51 59 46 57 
			 Warwickshire 33 24 36 28 19 
			 West Midlands 107 87 72 80 11 
			 West Sussex 79 52 81 58 29 
			 West Yorkshire 124 110 72 55 50 
			 Wiltshire 37 24 41 31 19 
			 Total 3,680 3,072 2,958 2,419 1,947 
		
	
	Records are not kept of either amended fire certificates issued or outstanding applications for amended certificates. Any amended certificates issued are counted in with fire certificates issued. In respect of outstanding applications for amended certificates, there is no statutory requirement for owners/occupiers of certificated premises to apply for amended certificates. Section 8 of the Fire Precautions Act requires the owner/occupier to inform the fire authority of any material structural changes to the building. The fire authority then has a duty, if satisfied with the proposals, either to amend the fire certificate or issue a new one. If not satisfied, the fire authority must issue a notice of steps to be taken before amending or issuing a new fire certificate.

Fire Service

Michael Clapham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2004 to come into force; and what guidance he has given to fire and rescue authorities regarding the proper discharge of their statutory duties to enforce the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 in the interim period before the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2004 comes into force.

Nick Raynsford: The decision on an appropriate date for the coming into force of the proposed Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order has not yet been taken.
	The suite of guidance contained in Fire Precautions Act circulars stands good for the interim period. Supplementary advice on handling of applications for fire certificates has been issued, by the Chief Fire Officer's Association.

Five-year Plan

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to publish his Department's five-year plan.

Yvette Cooper: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister, published on 24 January 2005, Official Report, columns 22–40, the Government's five-year housing plan Sustainable Communities: Homes for All".
	Next week my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister will also publish a partner five-year plan Sustainable Communities: People, Places and Prosperity".

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by his Department in the last three years.

Yvette Cooper: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Mr. Leslie), on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 140W.

Licensing Act

Ross Cranston: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on local authority street cleaning costs; what representations his Department has received on the subject; and whether new money will be provided to meet additional costs for local street cleaning services resulting from the implementation of the Act.

Nick Raynsford: In response to concerns raised by a number of local authorities, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister undertook an assessment of the potential knock on effects of the then Licensing Bill, including additional street cleansing costs, in 2003. Despite consulting 18 local authorities, the Local Government Association and the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government, it proved impossible to produce robust evidence of any additional street cleansing costs. The available evidence was inconclusive on whether there would be an overall cost to local government. We continue to examine and monitor the situation.
	During the recent discussions about the 2005–06 Local Government Finance Settlement, of the 233 representations received from local authorities, 21 made some reference to the impact of the Licensing Act. Representations about the costs to local authorities of the Licensing Act were also made during the Department of Media Culture and Sports consultation on licensing fees.
	Funding for street cleaning is provided through the local government finance settlement. Total support from Government grant and business rates in 2005–06 will be £60.1 billion. That is £3.5 billion, or 6.3 per cent., more than in 2004–05. We believe that this substantial investment in local government and the scope for efficiency gains addresses the pressures faced by local government. There is no excuse for excessive increases in council tax.

Local Education Authorities

Mark Hoban: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the best value performance indicators (BVPIs) for each local education authority for 2003–04 will be published on the BVPI website.

Nick Raynsford: The best value performance indicators (BVPIs) results for each local education authority for 2003–04 will be published on the BVPI website in early February.

New Charter

Andrew Bennett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of whether New Charter is providing an adequate service as agents for homeless people for Tameside Council.

Yvette Cooper: New Charter is providing services for homeless people as agents for Tameside Council, who are responsible for monitoring the contract. I understand that the Council is satisfied that all the main aspects of the service specification are being achieved.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received from (a) registered social landlords and (b) those who fund them for greater freedom to raise rents.

Keith Hill: In response to its three-year review of rent restructuring the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister received a number of representations from registered social landlords and others such as the National Housing Federation. A summary of responses will be made available shortly.

Social Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many tenants in each local authority area have exercised their right to buy in each of the last three years; what revenue has thereby accrued to each local authority; and what proportion of the total in each year was used for (a) repairing and (b) building council housing.

Keith Hill: Annual figures for council right to buy activity for 1999–2000 to 2002–03 by local authority are available from the Housing Statistics section on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's internet site. These tables show the number of right to buy sales and the average selling price excluding discount for each reporting local authority.
	It is a matter for individual authorities to decide how to use the receipts they retain from right to buy sales in the light of local needs and priorities. Information on how local authorities chose to use the retained receipts from right to buy sales is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The web link for 1999–2000 to 2001–02 information on Right to Buy activity is: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_control/documents/contentsservertemplate/odpm_index.hcst?n=1680&l=4 [Housing—Housing Statistics—Publications—Local Housing Statistics—Annual Statistics]
	The web link for 2002–03 information is: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_housing/documents/page/odpm_house_029535.xls [Housing—Housing Statistics—Live Tables—Social Housing Sales—Table number 648]

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Documents

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of (a) drafting, (b) publishing and (c) circulating (i) Working together—tackling not tolerating antisocial behaviour, (ii) One Year On—together tackling anti-social behaviour and (iii) central Government funding of voluntary and community organisations.

Hazel Blears: Officials from the Government's Antisocial Behaviour Unit drafted the two Together" reports published on 28 October 2004 as part of their daily duties. An estimate of £59,499 has been made for the drafting, publication and circulation for both reports.
	The One Year On and Practitioners' reports have been distributed widely to key stakeholder groups and individuals throughout England and Wales. They were initially distributed at the One Year On event held on 28 October to an audience in excess of 600 people drawn from local authorities, community groups, members of the public, police, MPs, and antisocial behaviour practitioners. Since this time the reports have also been available online and downloadable from the website and have received over 1,270 individual hits.
	Distribution to 6,000 individuals and groups from the range of key stakeholder groups including CDRP chairs, ASB Co-ordinators, Action Areas and Trailblazer representatives, and Together Academy attendees has also occurred along with individual mailouts upon request.

Asylum Seekers

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what target time has been set for reaching an initial decision on (a) asylum and (b) non-asylum applications; and what percentage of cases were processed within these target periods in the last period for which figures are available.

Des Browne: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Home Office's Public Service Agreement (PSA) target for 2003–04 was to ensure that 75 per cent. of new substantive asylum applications (excluding withdrawals and 3rd country cases) were decided within two months. This was an increase from the 65 per cent. and 60 per cent. targets met in 2002–03 and 2001–02 respectively.
	The 2003–04 target was exceeded, with 82 per cent. of new substantive applications having an initial decision reached and served within two months. The speed of initial decisions continues to improve with 84 per cent. of substantive applications received in Q2 (April to June) 2004 having an initial decision reached and served within two months, and reflects the Governments commitment to, and continued success in, speeding up the initial decision-making process.
	Information on the number of asylum applications outstanding, and the timeliness of initial decisions are published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	(b) The internal target times for processing non-asylum applications have been revised in the light of the top to bottom review of managed migration routes announced on 27 April 2004.
	The internal targets that have been set are for the whole period from 1 October 2004 to 31 March 2005 and are summarised in the table. The table includes provisional management information currently available on performance so far against those targets.
	
		
			 Application Type Target from 1 October 2004 Provisional management information on performance for October-November 2004 
		
		
			 Charged general leave to remain (postal) 70 per cent. in 3 weeks 68 per cent. in 3 weeks 
			  85 per cent. in 13 weeks 85 per cent. in 13 weeks 
			
			 Charged general leave to remain (Public Enquiry Office) 98 per cent. in 24 hours 85 per cent. in 24 hours 
			
			 Non-charged general leave to remain (postal) 20 per cent. 3 weeks 37 per cent. in 3 weeks 
			  25 per cent. in 13 weeks 52 per cent. in 13 weeks 
			
			 Non-charged general leave to remain (Public Enquiry Office) 95 per cent. in 24 hours 97 per cent. in 24 hours 
			
			 Work permit, including sector based scheme 70 per cent. in 1 week 66 per cent. in 1 week 
			  90 per cent. in 3 weeks 84 per cent. in 3 weeks 
			
			 Charged leave to remain (postal) for immigration employment document 70 per cent. in 3 weeks 35 per cent. 3 weeks 
			  90 per cent. in 8 weeks 82 per cent. 8 weeks 
			
			 Highly skilled migrant programme 50 per cent. in 4 weeks 25 per cent. in 4 weeks 
			  90 per cent. in 13 weeks 38 per cent. in 13 weeks 
			
			 Worker registration scheme 70 per cent. in 1 week 40 per cent. in 1 week 
			  90 per cent. in 3 weeks 91 per cent. in 3 weeks 
			
			 Nationality 50 per cent. in 13 weeks 48 per cent. in 13 weeks

Asylum Seekers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of Zimbabwean asylum seekers received (a) refugee status and (b) another form of protection from the UK Government in each quarter since 1997.

Des Browne: The tables show initial decision and appeal determinations by quarter, where available, for Zimbabwean asylum applicants, 1997 to Q3 2004. Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and appeal outcomes do not necessarily relate to initial decisions made in the same period.
	Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication covering the fourth quarter of 2004 will be available on 22 February 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Initial decisions(7) on asylum applications, by quarter, 1997 to Q3 2004: Nationals of Zimbabwe
		
			   Cases considered under normal procedures(8) Backlog clearance exercise 
			  Total initial decisions Grants of asylum Grants of ELR, HP and DL(9) Total refusals Total backlog clearance exercise Backlog clearance ELR4, 5 Backlog clearance refusals4, 6 
			   No. % No. % No. %  No. % No. % 
		
		
			 Q1 1997 25 — 0 — 0 25 100 — — — — — 
			 Q2 1997 30 * 4 * 4 25 93 — — — — — 
			 Q3 1997 50 * 2 5 6 50 92 — — — — — 
			 Q4 1997 20 — 0 — 0 20 100 — — — — — 
			 Q1 1998 15 — 0 * 13 15 88 — — — — — 
			 Q2 1998 10 — 0 * 10 10 90 — — — — — 
			 Q3 1998 5 — 0 — 0 5 100 — — — — — 
			 Q4 1998 15 — 0 — 0 15 100 — — — — — 
			 1999(13) 105 — 0 — 0 105 91 10 10 90 * 10 
			 Q1 2000 35 * 4 — 0 35 73 10 10 100 — 0 
			 Q2 2000 60 5 4 5 6 50 59 25 25 93 * 7 
			 Q3 2000 155 5 3 5 4 145 90 5 * 25 5 75 
			 Q4 2000 305 10 3 — 0 295 97 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2001 590 15 3 10 2 565 96 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2001 440 25 5 10 3 405 92 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2001 435 35 8 10 2 395 90 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2001 665 45 7 15 2 605 91 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2002 1,015 200 20 30 3 785 77 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2002 1,305 440 34 25 2 840 64 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2002 1,580 715 45 20 1 845 53 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2002 2,330 885 38 30 1 1,415 61 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2003(14) 1,190 350 29 10 1 835 70 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2003(14) 1,145 275 24 10 1 860 75 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2003(14) 905 135 15 10 1 760 84 — — — — — 
			 Q4 2003(14) 950 115 12 5 0 830 87 — — — — — 
			 Q1 2004(14) 845 90 11 10 1 740 88 — — — — — 
			 Q2 2004(14) 550 55 10 5 1 490 89 — — — — — 
			 Q3 2004(14) 630 45 7 10 2 575 91 — — — — — 
		
	
	n/a = not applicable.
	(7)Figures rounded to nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
	(8)Humanitarian protection and discretionary leave replaced exceptional leave to remain from 1 April 2003.
	(9)Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre '96 act asylum backlog.
	(10)May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted.
	(11)May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.
	(12)Annual data only available.
	(13)Provisional figures.

Asylum Seekers

Barbara Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice his Department provides to its asylum officials regarding the grounds for granting refugee status to applicants who have fled persecution because of their homosexuality.

Des Browne: All caseworkers in the immigration and nationality directorate, who are responsible for considering asylum claims, are trained in the proper application of the 1951 UN convention relating to the status of refugees and the need to apply those principles to the circumstances of the particular case. All caseworkers have access to the Home Office asylum policy instructions, which are published on the Home Office website. Additional support is provided by senior caseworkers, who are on hand to give advice and to ensure that consistently high standards of decision making are maintained.

Asylum Seekers

Barbara Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training in sexuality issues his Department provides to officials who handle asylum applications based on persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Des Browne: Asylum caseworkers undergo extensive training in the assessment of asylum claims made under the 1951 convention relating to the status of refugees. This includes training in the interpretation of the five convention reasons, and specifically the definition of membership of a particular social group", which is relevant to many claims involving sexual orientation. Guidance on Membership of a Particular Social Group" and instructions on Assessing the Claim" are available to caseworkers in the form of the asylum policy instructions, which are published on the Home Office website.

Class A Drug Arrests

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the proportion of crime in Hartlepool linked to the need to support a Class A drug habit.

Caroline Flint: Recorded crime figures, which are used to measure the extent of crime in local areas, include statistics on drugs offences, such as possession, and on property crimes, such as burglary, but do not contain information on the offender's drug habits. It is therefore not possible to estimate the proportion of all crime in Hartlepool which is linked to the need to support a drug habit.
	However, since April 2004 offenders in Hartlepool charged with certain trigger offences known to be commonly committed by drug users have been tested for opiates and cocaine/crack as part of the Drug Interventions Programme. Between April and December 2004 a total of 588 offenders were tested and just over half (55 per cent.) of them tested positive for opiates or cocaine/crack. This gives some indication of the proportion of property crime that may be linked to drug use, although it should be noted that not all crime by drug users is necessarily committed to support their habit.

Conditional Cautions

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many conditional cautions have been issued to first-time offenders in (a) Hartlepool and (b) other drugs intervention programme areas since the programme was introduced.

Caroline Flint: There are eight early implementation areas for Conditional Cautioning. Two areas are currently operational (Lancashire and Redditch). Four conditional cautions have been issued, three of which were issued to first time offenders.
	Hartlepool is not within an early implementation area for Conditional Cautioning, so no conditional cautions can be issued in Hartlepool.
	The Drug Interventions Programme intensive" Early Implementation Areas for Conditional Cautioning which are aimed at drug misusing offenders, will become operational late January to March 2005. They do not include Hartlepool.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to answer the letter dated 20 December 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Veronica Whitehead.

Charles Clarke: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 21 January 2005.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to answer the letter dated 8 December 2004 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Nusrat Bibi.

Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 7 January 2005.

Cycling Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for (a) dangerous and (b) careless or inconsiderate cycling (i) Essex police and (ii) Southend police have brought successfully in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: The information contained in the table gives the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty at all courts for dangerous cycling" and cycling without due care and attention" in the Essex police force area and South East Essex petty sessional area, 1997 to 2003.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for certain cycling offences, 1997 to 2003(14)
		
			  Dangerous cycling(15) Cycling without due care and attention(16) 
			  Proceeded against Found guilty(17) Proceeded against Found guilty(17) 
		
		
			 Essex police force area 
			 1997 2 1 2 2 
			 1998 5 4 6 4 
			 1999 1 1 3 3 
			 2000 1 1 2 2 
			 2001 1 — — — 
			 2002 — — — — 
			 2003 — — 6 3 
			 Of which: 
			 South East Essex petty sessional area (18) 
			 1997 — — — — 
			 1998 2 2 3 2 
			 1999 — — 1 1 
			 2000 — — — — 
			 2001 — — — — 
			 2002 — — — — 
			 2003 — — 3 2 
		
	
	(14)These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(15)Road Traffic Act 1988, sec. 28.
	(16)Road Traffic Act 1988, sec. 29.
	(17)For South East Essex PSA the guilty figures include those found guilty at the Crown court where South East Essex PSA was the committing court.
	(18)Covers Southend and includes some parts of Rayleigh, Benfleet and Canvey.

Dartmoor Prison

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of contracts or agreements relating to the provision of offending behaviour courses by faith-based organisations at Dartmoor Prison.

Paul Goggins: The only faith-based offending related course under development at Dartmoor prison is the Innerchange Freedom Initiative (IFI). The course is expected to start in February 2005. The IFI project leader has just completed a quality assurance document with the prison's Head of Resettlement to submit to the Area Manager for approval under Prison Service Order 4350 on Effective Regime Interventions. There is also an agreement that is currently being negotiated which is now in its final draft. As and when approval has been given and the documents finalised they will be placed in the House Library.

Extradition

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries the UK does not require to provide prima facie evidence before complying with a request to extradite an individual.

Caroline Flint: The United Kingdom does not require the provision of prima facie evidence, in support of an extradition request, from the following countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States of America.

Identity Cards Programme

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) seminars and (c) meetings with private sector representatives attended by members of the Identity Cards Programme team in the last six months.

Des Browne: In the last six months, members of the Identity Cards Programme team have:
	(a) Attended the following conferences
	Biometrics 2004
	CIFAS Executive Forum
	e-Government Exchange
	e-Government Summit
	National Fraud Forum
	Risk and Security Management
	UK and Ireland Fraud Liaison Group Annual Conference
	Whitehall Industry Group Fraud Solutions Workshops;
	and conferences organised by:
	Experian
	The Financial Services Authority
	Institute for Public Policy Research
	Institution of Electrical Engineers
	International Association for Biometrics
	Royal United Services Institute
	Telecommunications Users' Fraud Forum;
	(b) Participated in the following seminars
	BT Syntegra Consultation Event
	Naked Science: The State of Identity (Science Museum/Dana Centre);
	and four seminars organised by Intellect the trade body for the UK based information technology, telecommunications and electronics industry.
	(c) Held meetings with the following private sector organisations:
	ABTA
	Airline Operators Association
	APACS
	Atmel
	Atos Origin
	Authentec
	Aware
	Axon
	BAA
	BAR-UK
	BATA
	Bioscrypt
	British Bankers' Association
	BT
	Callcredit
	Cap Gemini
	CBI
	Cherry Corporation
	CIFAS
	Cogent
	Consult Hyperion
	CoreStreet
	Datacard
	De La Rue
	Director of Foundation for Science and Technology
	EDS
	Equifax
	Eye Ticket Corporation
	Experian
	Finance and Leasing Association
	The Football Association
	Fujitsu Microelectronics
	Generics Group
	Giesecke and Devrient
	Hewlett Packard
	Idenix
	IFTO
	Infineon
	Intellect
	Indian
	Lasercard
	London City Airport
	NERA Consulting
	Oberthur
	OCE
	ORGA
	OVD Kinegram
	Passenger Shipping Association
	Precise Biometrics
	Premier Electronics
	Prudential
	Royal Bank of Scotland
	Setec
	Sharp Corporation
	SMARTRAC
	St Microelectronics
	Visa Europe
	Meetings have also been held with
	Small Business Service
	Inland Revenue MPPC Payroll Group
	Financial Services Authority
	where private sector organisations have been in attendance.
	For the purposes of this answer, the following definitions have been used. Conference" means an event organised by an external organisation where a member of the Programme Team has been invited to participate or attend. Seminar" means an event which was arranged by the Programme or by an external organisation where identity cards was the only or principal item of discussion. Meeting" means any other meeting which involved a private organisation, where identity cards were the primary subject. Meetings with organisations which are currently providing services to the Programme team or with organisations which at the time were bidding to provide services to the Programme Team have been excluded.

Identity Cards and Passports (Forgery)

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals deported from this country have been found to be in possession of forged identity cards in the last 12 months.

Des Browne: We do not record centrally whether individuals removed or deported from the UK possessed forged identity cards on arrival or when detected.
	The total number of individuals in the UK found to be in possession of forged identity documents in the 12 months leading up to the end of November 2004, is approximately 10,700, of whom approximately 1,600 were in possession of forged European identity cards. These statistics are based on internal management information, as such information is not published routinely within the official statistics.

Identity Cards and Passports (Forgery)

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals with forged passports have been arrested or detained in the last three years by (a) Customs and Immigration officers and (b) the police.

Des Browne: The border agencies take the abuse of travel documents seriously and pursue prosecutions whenever possible.
	Individuals who provide forged documents can be arrested and detained either by the UK Immigration Service or the police.
	Unfortunately the collation of the recorded crime statistics means that it is not possible to separately identify these specific offences which are recorded together with other forgery offences.
	Locally collated management information indicates that 215 people were arrested at Heathrow and Gatwick in 2004 for forgery and counterfeiting offences.

Immigration

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances would individuals, who are not British citizens, who have received custodial sentences for crimes committed in the UK, not be deported; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Each case is decided on its individual merits. Where there has been a recommendation by the Court for deportation, there is a presumption that, save in the most exceptional circumstances, the recommendation will be enforced. All cases, including those whose deportation is considered to be conducive to the public good, are considered under the provisions of paragraph 364 of HC 395 Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules". This includes age, length of residence and strength of connections in the United Kingdom, personal history, domestic circumstances, previous criminal record, compassionate circumstances and any representations received. Should any one or a combination of these factors outweigh the public interest, deportation would not proceed.

Justice and Home Affairs Council

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's priorities for the Justice and Home Affairs Council during the United Kingdom's Presidency of the European Union will be; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: During 2005 the UK will work closely with Luxembourg as current Presidency and with Austria and Finland (whose Presidencies follow ours) to take forward the inherited agenda and handle any new proposals that may be introduced by the Commission or Member States in the JHA Council. Work will continue on the implementation and evaluation of the Tampere agenda, and begin on the new multi-annual work programme (the Hague Programme") which will take forward the development of an area of freedom, security and justice. In line with the Hague Programme, priority will also be given to developing a coherent external dimension of this work through enhanced cooperation with third countries, groups of countries and regions. The Council is expected to receive proposals on the instruments for Freedom, Security and Justice in the context of the Financial Perspective 2007–2013.
	A copy of the UK—Luxembourg Operational Programme" (AOP), with details on JHA priorities during 2005 can be found in the Library of the House.
	We will work to deliver on the commitments contained in the Action plan on Combating Terrorism, and on the new EU Action Plan on Drugs for the period 2005–2007 (likely to be adopted during the Luxembourg Presidency). We will also continue to develop judicial co-operation in both criminal and civil areas.
	On asylum and immigration, key priorities include strengthening the external border; improving the security of travel documents, including the incorporation of biometricidentifiers; improving the EU's performance on readmission agreements; helping countries or origin and transit improve their capacity for migration and refugee protection; and developing best practice in the area of integration.
	On law enforcement, key priorities will be to maximise practical, operationally focused criminal intelligence exchange between Member States, including through Europol, and to step up the co-ordination of investigation and prosecution by Member States of serious crime, making best use of Eurojust. The Council will also focus its work on further measures to be taken in the implementation of the EU Millennium Strategy to combat organised crime, and the fight against organised crime in general.

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the blueprint for the National Offender Management Service was approved by the National Offender Management Service Board before it was presented to the Prime Minister on 18 November.

Paul Goggins: The proposals for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and how they would lead to a reduction in re-offending was agreed across Government, including with the Prime Minister.

Parliamentary Questions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what target his Department sets for the maximum acceptable time to respond in full to a parliamentary question; and what percentage of answers given by his Department failed to meet this target in each parliamentary session from 1997–98 to 2003–04.

Fiona Mactaggart: Departments aim to ensure that Members receive a substantive response to their named day question on the named day and to endeavour to answer ordinary written questions within a working week of being tabled. Unfortunately, this is not always possible but this Department makes every effort to achieve these timescales.
	The Home Office does not maintain historic records in a way that enables it to provide all the information in the format requested. The Department has recently introduced a new PQ system, the electronic parliamentary Questions System (ePQS) to better monitor and manage the Department's performance.
	Figures obtained from the Home Office Annual reports show that the number of questions answered that failed to meet Departmental targets were 54 per cent. in 2000–01, 61 per cent. in 2001–02 and 63 per cent. in 2002–03. Figures prior to this are not available.

Passports

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what forms passport applicants receive in application packs as part of the UK Passport Service's Personal Identification Project; and what forms applicants are required to complete as part of their application.

Des Browne: A copy of the forms were dispatched to the right hon. Member on 19 January. Two forms are issued as part of the Personal Identification Project.(PIP) the main standard form and the PIP discretionary supplementary form.

Police Equipment (Tetra)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his Department's policy to use the precautionary principle with reference to the use of Tetra-based equipment by police officers; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: No hazard to health associated with the use of Tetra- based equipment has been identified. However, as recommended by the 2000 Stewart Report (Mobile Phones and Health,), we have taken a precautionary approach to the use of Tetra technology. A report by independent experts was commissioned, and we have taken forward their recommendations. We have stipulated that low power equipment is used. We have also put in place a comprehensive programme of research as part of our continuing commitment to providing the police service with a modern communication system that is safe, secure, efficient and effective.

Prisoners (Sexual Harassment)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place in prisons in England and Wales to protect prisoners from sexual harassment; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service has a range of policies designed to promote a prison environment in which prisoners feel safe.
	The Prison Service's Violence Reduction Strategy was launched in May 2004 and requires that each establishment has in place a local violence reduction strategy appropriate to needs. The Prison Service's definition of violence is: any incident where a person is abused, threatened or assaulted. This includes any explicit or implicit challenge to their safety where the resulting harm may be physical, emotional or psychological." This covers all forms of harassment.
	An intranet toolkit is helping establishments to develop practical solutions, including environmental and physical measures as well as alternatives for behaviour management. A whole prison approach is encouraged, with the aim of reducing violence and fear of violence. A focus on personal safety, supporting victims, and repairing the physical and emotional harm caused by violence or abuse, links closely with the suicide prevention strategy.
	Prisoners also have access to a comprehensive complaint system.
	Following any complaint, including harassment, the Governor is required to investigate the complaint fully and take any necessary and appropriate action in order to safeguard the prisoner in his/her care.

Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what overspend of the Prison Service budget for 2004–05 was forecast on 7 December 2004.

Paul Goggins: The overspend forecast on 7 December 2004 was £31.1 million, which related to the forecast outturn as shown in the management accounts up to the end of October 2004. We expect the final outturn for the financial year to be within the delegated budget.

Probation

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation areas in England and Wales exceeded their targets for victim contact during (a) 2003–04 and (b) the first six months of 2004–05.

Paul Goggins: The performance of probation areas in meeting their targets for victims contacted in 2003–04 and April to June 2004 (the latest available figures) is set out in the following table. In the first quarter of 2004–05, 39 of the 42 areas met or exceeded their target and only one area was more than 5 per cent. short of the target. In 2003–04, 38 areas met or exceeded the target with three areas falling more than 5 per cent. short.
	
		Percentage of victims contacted in accordance with national standards—target = 85 per cent. -- Percentage
		
			 Region/area 2003–04 Q1, 2004–05 
		
		
			 West Midlands   
			 Staffordshire 98 95 
			 Warwickshire 87 96 
			 West Mercia 83 77 
			 West Midlands 96 86 
			 West Midlands total94 90 
			
			 North East   
			 Northumbria 98 97 
			 Teesside 98 91 
			 County Durham 99 100 
			 North East total 98 96 
			
			 East   
			 Bedfordshire 92 90 
			 Cambridgeshire 94 98 
			 Essex 91 93 
			 Hertfordshire 93 93 
			 Norfolk 68 91 
			 Suffolk 88 95 
			 East total 88 93 
			
			 North West   
			 Cheshire 94 97 
			 Cumbria 90 100 
			 Lancashire 93 81 
			 Merseyside 97 98 
			 Greater Manchester 90 95 
			 North West total 92 94 
			
			 East Midlands   
			 Derbyshire 96 92 
			 Leicestershire and Rutland 100 100 
			 Lincolnshire 95 83 
			 Northamptonshire 98 96 
			 Nottinghamshire 98 97 
			 East Midlands total 97 96 
			
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 
			 Humberside 94 93 
			 North Yorkshire 97 87 
			 South Yorkshire 89 100 
			 West Yorkshire 95 99 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside total93 97 
			 South East   
			 Hampshire 90 95 
			 Kent 74 95 
			 Surrey 95 100 
			 Sussex 93 99 
			 Thames Valley 95 96 
			 South East total 89 97 
			
			 South West   
			 Avon and Somerset 94 98 
			 Dorset 100 100 
			 Gloucestershire 86 89 
			 Wiltshire 98 100 
			 Devon/Cornwall 97 98 
			 South West total 95 98 
			
			 London   
			 London total 77 85 
			
			 Wales   
			 Gwent 99 97 
			 North Wales 95 97 
			 South Wales 93 99 
			 Dyfed/Powys 100 100 
			 Wales total 95 98 
			
			 England and Wales total91 93 
		
	
	The National Standard for victim contact work is that probation areas should offer face-to-face contact between the victim (or family) and a member of the probation service (or agent) within eight weeks of the offender being sentenced. The NPS target is to make initial contact within that time scale in 85 per cent. of all eligible cases. This was exceeded in 2003–04 and performance continues to improve in 2004–05 with 93 per cent. of victims contacted in accordance with the national standard. Due to the eight-week wait to record the data, data for 2004–05 cover just the first quarter, ie, April to June 2004.
	There has been good, steady improvement in performance since April 2001.
	
		
			 Period covered Number of named victims Number of victims contacted Percentage of victims contacted 
		
		
			 April 2001 to  March 2002 15,041 9,523 63 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 15,904 12,949 81 
			 April 2003 to  March 2004 15,647 14,276 91 
			 April 2004 to  June 2004 3,909 3,604 93

Religious Hatred Legislation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what views have been advanced in representations which he has received from religious groups (a) supporting and (b) opposing the adoption of a law on incitement of religious hatred.

Fiona Mactaggart: A joint statement issued in April 2004 by representatives of many important faith communities in Britain urged the Government to legislate against incitement to religious hatred as soon as possible. An updated version of this statement with additional signatories was issued in January 2005. The statement reaffirms the belief of the bodies represented that the measure is necessary to remedy an unjust and anomalous gap in the present law whereby racial groups are protected from incited hatred whereas religious groups are not.
	The Home Office has received representations from a number of religious groups who have concerns about aspects of the proposed measure. These concerns have focused around the extent to which the legislation might in certain circumstances inhibit the freedom to worship and to proselytise. There have also been concerns expressed by groups such as humanists and secularists that the law would not catch incited hatred against groups holding non-religious beliefs. The Home Office has met representatives of these groups and will continue to work to allay their concerns.

Religious Hatred Legislation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of laws concerning the incitement of religious hatred in other countries.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information published by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance indicates that countries with legislation of this kind include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France Germany, Greece and Italy. The state of Victoria in Australia also has legislation on this subject. The details of legislation vary, as one would expect. For example, the offence in Victoria has a lower threshold and wider scope than the Government are proposing for this country.
	As regards effectiveness, while it is useful to look for similar provisions in other jurisdictions, we share the view of the House of Lords Select Committee which in its Report on Religious Offences in England and Wales (April 2003) concluded that Whilst it is possible to describe the offences that exist in different jurisdictions with some accuracy assessing their efficacy is much more difficult.'

Right of Establishment in Business

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for the right of establishment in business under EU association agreements were received by his Department between 1 June 2003 and 30 April 2004, broken down by nationality of the applicant; and how many were (a) granted, (b) granted in error, (c) refused, (d) refused in error, (e) withdrawn and (f) otherwise disposed of, broken down by nationality.

Des Browne: Between 1 June 2003 and 30 April 2004 there were 31,812 applications for the right of establishment in business under EC Association Agreements received by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND). The table shows this total figure broken down by nationality and by the outcome of the case.
	There is no facility on the General Casework Information Database to record applications granted or refused in error.
	
		
			 Nationality of applicant Total received 1 June 2003 to 30 April 2004 Granted Refused Withdrawn by applicant Other(19) 
		
		
			 Bulgaria 4,999 4,070 252 100 23 
			 Czech Republic 238 197 4 31 0 
			 Estonia 244 197 9 31 1 
			 Hungary 142 113 3 24 2 
			 Latvia 1,262 963 98 169 4 
			 Lithuania 7,268 5,280 253 944 30 
			 Poland 13,278 10,015 731 2,362 47 
			 Romania 3,299 2,632 294 49 11 
			 Slovakia 369 319 11 37 1 
			 Slovenia 3 3 0 0 0 
			 Turkey 710 440 69 18 5 
			 Totals 31,812 24,229 1,724 3,765 2,094 
		
	
	(19)Category of other" includes all outcomes possible on the General Casework Information Database apart from granted, refused and withdrawn by applicant. This includes applications received in the specified period against which no outcome is yet recorded, and applications received in the specified period against which an outcome was recorded after 30 September 2004. Due to limitations of the Management Information System it is not possible to break down these particular cases by nationality.
	Note:
	1 Numbers of applications granted, refused, withdrawn by applicant or other" relate only to applications received by IND between 01 June 2003 and 30 April 2004.

Right of Establishment in Business

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will break down the number of applications between 1 June 2003 and 30 April 2004 for the right of establishment in business under EU Association Agreements refused by grounds for refusal and nationality.

Des Browne: Between 1 June 2003 and 30 April 2004 there were 1,159 applications for the right of establishment in business under EC Association Agreements refused by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. The table shows this total figure broken down by nationality of the applicant.
	There is no facility on the Management Information System to break down applications refused by grounds of refusal.
	
		
			 Nationality of applicant Number of applications refused 1 June 2003 to 30 April 2004 
		
		
			 Bulgaria 42 
			 Czech Rep. 4 
			 Estonia 8 
			 Hungary 3 
			 Latvia 85 
			 Lithuania 211 
			 Poland 688 
			 Romania 59 
			 Slovakia 10 
			 Slovenia 0 
			 Turkey 49

Right of Establishment in Business

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) maximum, (b) mean and (c) minimum number of days was between the date of receipt of an application for the right of establishment in business under EU association agreements and the date of posting the refusal notice to the applicant between 1 June 2003 and 30 April 2004.

Des Browne: The table sets out the mean, minimum and maximum number of days between receipt of an application for the right of establishment in business under EC Association Agreements and the date of posting the refusal notice to the applicant. The information refers to applications refused between 1 June 2003 and 30 April 2004.
	
		
			 ECAA cases refused 1 June 2003 to 30 April 2004 Number of days between receipt in IND and posting of refusal 
		
		
			 Minimum Same day service at Public Enquiry Office(20) 
			 Mean average 144.3 
			 Maximum 1,906 
		
	
	(20)ECAA applications are not normally handled by Public Enquiry Offices but these represent a very small number that were done on an exceptional basis.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions between 31 March 2002 and 31 March 2003 his special advisers travelled abroad in an official capacity; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost.

Charles Clarke: I refer the hon. Member to the reply the former Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) gave on 1 September 2003, Official Report, column 1000W.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Asian Tsunami

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will give details of the first warning the UK Government received about the impending tsunami on 26 December 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to my reply given on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 28W, to my hon. Friend for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith).

Asian Tsunami

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the priorities are for the help that his Department is giving to those countries affected by the Boxing Day tsunami.

Hilary Benn: In the days immediately following the disaster, DFID's priorities were to ensure that basic emergency assistance such as food, shelter, water and sanitation and medical support reached those most in need. DFID also prioritised supporting the overall co-ordination and capacity of the international response through the United Nations, including the gathering of information on needs.
	As most of the affected countries are moving into a recovery stage, DFID's present priorities are to continue to ensure that assistance is reaching all affected people, push to get coordination mechanisms fully operational, unblock remaining logistic bottlenecks, ensure the right key personnel are in place and provide assistance where requested by DFID's field teams or through direct requests from the affected governments or the United Nations.

CDC/Actis Capital

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what minimum percentage return the Government expects on investments by CDC/Actis Capital.

Hilary Benn: DFID has agreed with the Treasury, a target overall rate of return of 5 per cent. per annum on the capital that the Government have invested in CDC. The individual Funds in which CDC's capital is invested have differing target rates of return depending on their particular objectives and the markets in which they are working.

CDC/Actis Capital

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the rate of return on investments by CDC/Actis Capital was in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003 and (d) 2004.

Hilary Benn: The rate of return on investments made by CDC were as follows for the following periods:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 (a) 2001 -11.1 
			 (b) 2002 6.5 
			 (c) 2003 9.6 
			 (d) 2004 (21)14.6 
		
	
	(21)Estimated—figures only available to 30 September

CDC/Actis Capital

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  if he will list investments by CDC/Actis Capital in the energy sector in (a) 2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003 and (d) 2004 broken down by (i) amount and (ii) percentage of the total CDC/Actis Capital portfolio;
	(2)  how much CDC/Actis Capital has invested in renewable energy; and what percentage of its total energy portfolio this figure represents;
	(3)  what discussions his Department has had with CDC/Actis Capital about targets for their investment in renewable energy.

Hilary Benn: CDC made 27 investments in the energy sector in the period between 2001 and 2004. The investments were in the following companies:
	Ace Power Generation Anuradhapura (Pvt) Ltd.
	Ace Power Generation Matara (Pvt) Ltd.
	Asia Power Co.
	Azito
	Caribbean Basin Power Fund
	Compania Boliviana de Energia Electrica
	Compania de Electricidad de Puerto Plata
	DHL Trust
	Dominica Electricity Services Ltd.
	Empresa Energetica Corinto
	Guyana Power and Light
	Haina Investment Company
	Haripur (Pvt) Ltd. / Meghnaghat (Pvt) Ltd.
	Hopewell Power (Philippines) Corporation
	Hub Power Co. Ltd.
	Jamaica Private Power Co.
	Kelvin Power
	La Compania de Electricidad de San Pedro De Macoris
	Mirant Sual Corporation
	Sidi Krir
	St. Lucia Electricity Services Ltd.
	Orzunil
	Lanco Kondapalli
	Puerto Quetzal Power Ltd. Liability Co.
	Songas Company Ltd.
	Southern Cone Power Ltd.
	Tsavo Power Co. Ltd.
	Amounts invested in each company are commercially confidential. Total annual investments by CDC in the energy sector and their percentage of total investments were as follows:
	
		
			  Amount (£ million) Percentage 
		
		
			 2001 147 11 
			 2002 203 15 
			 2003 343 26 
			 2004 317 27 
		
	
	CDC has invested US$104 million in renewable energy projects, which represents some 17 per cent. of its total energy portfolio. These figures are based on 31 December 2004 valuations.
	DFID has had no discussions with CDC about targets for their investment in renewable energy. However, we understand that CDC is exploring the possibilities of further investment in renewable energy with Actis, its main investment manager.

Congolese Refugees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate his Department has made of the number of people leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo since the beginning of 2005 to seek refuge in each of the neighbouring countries; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Through reporting from the office United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and maintenance of contact with other humanitarian agencies DFID continues to monitor the recent increased movement of Congolese refugees across the Democratic Republic of Congo/Uganda border.
	(i) 5,000–7,000 refugees crossed into Uganda between 2 and 8 January, fleeing fighting between Hema and Lendu groups in Ituri. They crossed Lake Albert and are encamped at Nkondo in Hoima District, western Uganda. These are mostly women and children. The area where they are camped is difficult to access. UNHCR would like them to move to an established refugee camp (Kyaka II) in Kyenjojo district, but the refugees are reluctant to move without their menfolk. To date only a few have agreed to do so.
	(ii) 10,100 refugees, mainly women and children, arrived in Ishasha in Kanungu district near Lake Edward, between 9 and 15 January. This movement was in response to fighting between Mai-Mai and Rally for Congolese Democracy groups in North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. There are reports that up to 7000 of these people have now returned to the DRC. There are also reports that continued fighting might result in the arrival of more refugees from the DRC in the near future. Assessments are ongoing and the refugees are receiving support from UNHCR, UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and Medecins Sans Frontieres.
	DFID remains in close contact with the UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies and will continue to monitor developments.

Congolese Refugees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) information his Department has received and (b) assessment his Department has made of the (i) size and (ii) nature of the two groups of Congolese refugees reported by the UN refugee agency on 18 January to have crossed into Uganda during the weeks of 10 and 17 January; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID continues to monitor the recent increased movement of Congolese refugees across the border of Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda through reporting from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and by maintaining contact with other humanitarian agencies.
	DFID has information covering the period since 1 January 2005, and we know, that:
	(i) Between 5,000 and 7,000 refugees crossed into Uganda over the period of 2–8 January, fleeing fighting between Hema and Lendu groups in Ituri. They crossed Lake Albert and are encamped at Nkondo in Hoima District, western Uganda. These are mostly women and children. The area where they are camped is difficult to access. The UNHCR would like them to move to an established refugee camp (Kyaka II) in the Kyenjojo district.
	(ii) 10,100 refugees, mainly women and children, arrived in Ishasha in Kanungu district near Lake Edward, between 9 and 15 January. This movement was in response to fighting between Mai-Mai and Rassemblement Congolais pour la Democratie (RDC) groups in North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. There are reports that up to 7,000 of these people have now returned to the DRC, while approximately 1,000 have been transferred to Kyaka II. There are also reports that continued fighting might result in the arrival of more refugees from DRC in the near future. The refugees are receiving support from the UNHCR, UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and Medecins Sans Frontieres.
	DFID remains in close contact with the UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies, and will continue to monitor developments.

Departmental Spending

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of his Department's spending in each less developed country in each of the last five years was directed to (a) direct budgetary support, (b) non-governmental organisations and (c) debt relief.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to the DFID annual report Statistics in International Development" (SID) which contains some of the information requested. The latest (2004) edition is available in the House of Commons Library and on-line at: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/sid2004/sid2004.asp
	(a) The following table (drawn largely from SID Table 10.1) shows spending on direct budgetary support, now more commonly termed Poverty Reduction Budget Support" or PRBS. The table shows actual spend, and spend as a proportion of DFID's total bilateral programme aid to the relevant countries. This table includes data for the last four years. Data for 1999–2000 could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. Countries not included in the table have not received PRBS. Note, DFID spends some of its funds through multilateral agencies, some of which also distribute direct budget support. While we impute a notional share" of money we give to the EC, World Bank or other agencies as being spent in individual countries, we are not able to split this down further to show how much is spent as direct budget support.
	(b) DFID is not able to distinguish the total amount of bilateral aid channelled through non-governmental organisations in individual countries, as this information is not held centrally. Table 7 of SID contains a column showing for each country, the amount of funds spent as Grants and other aid in kind". These will include sums dispersed via non-governmental organisations.
	(c) Debt relief to individual countries in each of the last five years is shown in SID. Table 7 is split into 7.1 which contains data on African countries, 7.2 with data on the Americas, 7.3-Asia, 7.4-Europe and 7.5-Pacific. 
	
		Poverty reduction budget support to recipient countries
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 
			  Expenditure (£ million) Percentage of programme Expenditure (£ million) Percentage of programme 
		
		
			 Africa: 
			 Ethiopia — — — — 
			 Ghana 40.0 55 25.0 45 
			 Kenya 15.0 29 — — 
			 Malawi 30.0 53 12.5 27 
			 Mozambique 10.0 24 20.0 49 
			 Rwanda 25.4 78 18.0 67 
			 Sierra Leone 19.5 56 10.0 27 
			 Tanzania 40.0 58 35.0 54 
			 Uganda 60.0 70 47.0 69 
			 Zambia 15.0 27 — — 
			 Total Africa 254.9 39 167.5 29 
			  
			 Americas: 
			 Bolivia — — 2.6 20 
			 Total Americas — — 2.6 3 
			  
			 Asia: 
			 Afghanistan — — — — 
			 Bangladesh — — — — 
			 East Timor — — — — 
			 India — — 65.0 35 
			 Pakistan — — 20.0 46 
			 Vietnam — — 7.0 44 
			 Total Asia — — 92.0 18 
			  
			 Europe: 
			 Macedonia (FYR of) — — 3.0 38 
			 17 Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) 10.4 67.0 7.0 60 
			 Total Europe 10.4 9 10.0 10 
			 Total poverty reduction budget support 265.3 19 272.1 18 
		
	
	
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 
			  Expenditure (£ million) Percentage of programme Expenditure (£ million) Percentage of programme 
		
		
			 Africa: 
			 Ethiopia 10.0 23 20.0 47 
			 Ghana 20.0 36 25.0 37 
			 Kenya — — — — 
			 Malawi — — 10.0 18 
			 Mozambique 10.0 26 15.0 41 
			 Rwanda 22.0 69 18.8 70 
			 Sierra Leone 10.0 31 10.0 29 
			 Tanzania 45.0 47 60.0 75 
			 Uganda 29.5 54 30.0 54 
			 Zambia 7.6 18 3.8 13 
			 Total Africa 154.1 21 192.6 27 
			  
			 Americas: 
			 Bolivia 1.3 14 3.3 47 
			 Total Americas 1.3 1.3 3.3 4 
			  
			 Asia: 
			 Afghanistan 15.0 20 30.0 38 
			 Bangladesh 6.6 9 — — 
			 East Timor 4.0 61 4.0 89 
			 India 30.0 19 55.0 28 
			 Pakistan 20.0 52 50.0 75 
			 Vietnam 7.0 37 10.0 43 
			 Total Asia 82.6 15 149.0 19 
			  
			 Europe: 
			 Macedonia (FYR of) — — — — 
			 17 Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) — — — — 
			 Total Europe — — — — 
			 Total Poverty Reduction Budget Support 238.0 13 344.9 17 
		
	
	1.Spend figures from SID 2004 Table 10.1.
	2.Excludes budgetary aid to Montserrat and St Helena.
	3.The programme figures shown above refer to DFID bilateral programme.

EU Development Aid

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries are the top 10 recipients of EU development aid; how much aid was given to each in the last year for which figures are available; and what the average annual income was in each country in that year.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: In 2003, the most recent year for which figures are available, the top ten recipients of European Commission (EC) Official Development Assistance (ODA) were:
	
		
			 Country EC ODA (US$ million) Gross national income (GNI) per capita (US$) 
		
		
			 Serbia and Montenegro 314.76 1,910 
			 Sudan 247.05 460 
			 Afghanistan 208.03 (22)— 
			 Tanzania 185.09 290 
			 Palestinian admin areas 181.06 1,110 
			 Ethiopia 149.14 90 
			 Morocco 147.17 1,320 
			 Turkey 140.37 2,790 
			 Bosnia-Herzegovina 135.83 1,540 
			 South Africa 134.03 2,780 
		
	
	(22)Not currently available.
	Afghanistan is estimated to be low income (less than $765).
	Source:
	EC ODA(Development Assistance Committee
	GNI per capita(World Bank, Atlas method

Ghana

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) consultancy and (b) equipment was provided under his Department's Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database Project in Ghana in 1999–2000.

Hilary Benn: In 1999–2000, DFID provided one consultancy for project management services under the Government of Ghana's Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD). The role of the project team was to: draw up technical and procurement specifications for the replacement payroll system; improve the quality of payroll data; provide advice and training in payroll implementation; and provide technical support to keep the old payroll system running. DFID also funded a separate two-week procurement mission prior to the purchase of equipment for the project.
	DFID procured equipment for IPPD both in the UK and in Ghana. This comprised: hardware to upgrade the existing mainframe computers at the Controller and Accountant General's office; the installation of a local area network; and personal computers on which to run the new payroll and train staff. DFID also provided office equipment (such as desks and computer printers) for the project team within the Controller and Accountant General's office, and two office vehicles.
	The Government of Ghana used financial aid from DFID to procure the principal (Oracle) software for the project, which was customised to perform the payroll function. The Government of Ghana also engaged the consultancy services of Provison, Oracle's local agent, to implement the project.

Guinea

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact an improved educational system would have on the social and economic situation in Guinea; how much (a) UK and (b) EU financial aid is earmarked for improving the education system; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The UK does not have a bilateral development programme with Guinea. DFID has made no assessment of the education system. EU aid to Guinea is currently subject to consultations between the European Commission and the Government of Guinea, under the provisions of Article 96 of the Cotonou Treaty, due to concerns over political and governance issues. An EU Co-operation Strategy and Programme paper has been agreed but not yet signed; it does not envisage major support for education. The World Bank and the USA are the largest education sector donors to Guinea in the period 2001–06. The estimated EC share of support to the education sector in the same period is 8.6 per cent. (€15.6 million).

HIV/AIDS Orphans

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government will take to encourage other G8 and EU member states to endorse and commit resources to implement the framework for the protection, care and support of orphans and vulnerable children living with HIV and Aids.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: In July this year, DFID was one of the first bilateral development agencies, along with Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to endorse the UNAIDS/UNICEF Framework for the protection, care and support of orphans and vulnerable children living in a world with HIV/AIDS. Since then we have taken every opportunity to promote its use with governments and other organisations working to provide protection, care and support to children affected by AIDS. This includes children living with HIV and AIDS.
	Along with other member states we are engaging in the consultation process towards a new Programme for Action on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis which the EC expects to adopt in 2006. The current Programme for Action does not address orphans and vulnerable children and we will consider how best to address this gap in the forthcoming consultations.
	We will use our presidencies of the G8 and the EU to increase action on AIDS and will encourage those member states who have not yet endorsed the framework to do so. Committing resources to implement the framework for the protection, care and support of orphans and vulnerable children through national plans is key to this. We have announced our £150 million spending commitment over three years and will be encouraging other G8 and EU member states to increase their support to national programmes. The USA has, like us, already earmarked funding. Canada and France see it as a priority issue, while others have yet to follow this line.
	The UK is discussing with UNICEF the possibility of hosting the 2005 Global Partners Forum in London in December. This event would present a significant opportunity for G8 and EU members to increase their action in this area.
	Responding to the needs of orphans and vulnerable children needs to be part of the larger picture of the AIDS response. By the end of 2005, we want to have agreement among donors and the international system on a well co-ordinated and funded plan to tackle AIDS which will include support for the protection, care and support of orphans and vulnerable children.

Iraq

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of money spent on services provided by Adam Smith International Ltd. in connection with the reconstruction of Iraq; what additional contracts they have secured since September 2004; what expenditure his Department has allocated to the organisation for future spending; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Adam Smith International Ltd. won an open competition to implement the Emergency Public Administration Programme in Iraq. A Review was recently conducted on progress of the project. The review concluded that, despite the difficult security environment, Adam Smith International Ltd. has been effective in helping the Iraqi Interim Government set up structures at the centre of Government and in supporting Public Financial Management.
	Adam Smith International Ltd. has secured no additional contracts in Iraq since September 2004.
	No additional funds have been allocated for future spending specifically with Adam Smith International Ltd. Any future business will be subject to the European Union Directives. These ensure contracts are awarded through transparently fair and open processes.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate has been made of the amount of wheat required to feed the Iraqi population in a year; how much wheat it is estimated was produced within Iraq in each of the last five years; how much wheat it is estimated has been imported into Iraq in each of the last five years; at what estimated cost; what the price of wheat on the Iraqi market is; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Based on current consumption patterns, the amount of wheat required to feed the Iraqi population annually is around 5 million metric tonnes (MT). Actual demand over the medium term will depend on food consumption preferences, the relative prices of substitutes for and complements to wheat-based products, and other factors such as population growth.
	Domestic wheat production over the last five years was as follows:
	
		
			  Million metric tonne 
		
		
			 2004 2.2 
			 2003 2.0 
			 2002 1.8 
			 2001 0.7 
			 2000 0.5 
		
	
	Average annual wheat production over the 10 years before 2003 was around 1.1 million MT.
	Imports of wheat into Iraq over the last five years, and their estimated market costs (in 2004 prices) were as follows:
	
		
			  Million metric tonne US$ million 
		
		
			 2004 3.3 768 
			 2003 1.8 419 
			 2002 1.6 368 
			 2001 2.8 652 
			 2000 3.2 745 
		
	
	The price of wheat in the Iraqi market is estimated to be about 120 Iraqi Dinars (c. 8 US cents) per kilo for domestically grown wheat, and about 340 Iraqi Dinars (c. 23 US cents) for imported wheat. This differential reflects Iraqi consumers' preference for imported over domestically produced wheat.

Iraq

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the provision of (a) water, (b) hospital care and (c) schools for residents who have returned to Fallujah; and what assessment he has made of educational provision for the children of residents who have not returned;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the number of internally displaced persons from Fallujah who are planning to settle out of Fallujah for an extended period;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the number of homes in Fallujah which (a) sustained damage and (b) sustained damage such as to render them unfit for habitation since the commencement of military operations against insurgents in November 2004.

Hilary Benn: The Interim Iraqi Government (IIG), with support from Multi-National Forces (MNF), has ensured that adequate supplies of food, water, shelter, fuel and health care are available to meet the essential needs of residents returning to Fallujah. Repairs to the water network have begun, and piped water is now available in a number of districts. In other districts, supplies are provided by tanker. Two hospitals and several health clinics are open in Fallujah to provide medical care. Preparations are being made to re-open schools in Fallujah, with five due to be opened by early February. 125 schools in the areas around Fallujah have re-opened to help cater for the children of residents and displaced people who are living there.
	No assessment has been made of the number of people displaced from Fallujah who are planning to settle elsewhere for an extended period.
	The IIG is planning to undertake a detailed assessment of damage to housing in Fallujah shortly. Preliminary estimates suggest that up to half the buildings in the city may have sustained substantial damage, with many of these rendered unfit for habitation, and that over 75 per cent. suffered some damage.

Iraq

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received from UK non-governmental organisations relating to the state of the infrastructure in Fallujah; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I have not received any such representations; however DFID staff have briefed Amman-based NGOs on the situation in Fallujah.

Millennium Development Goals

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the percentage of the total UK (a) bilateral aid budget and (b) multilateral aid budget that is available on the ground for Millennium Development Goal projects.

Hilary Benn: All DFID's development assistance is directed towards achieving the MDGs. Table 20 of the 2004 edition of DFID's annual volume Statistics in International Development" (SID) shows the allocation of bilateral funds to individual MDGs for 2003–04. Funds can be legitimately scored against more than one MDG—for example, HIV/AIDS and maternal mortality. A copy of this report is available in the House of Commons Library and on line at: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/sid2004/sid2004.asp.
	DFID is working closely with multilateral organisations to ensure that they too prioritise MDG delivery, and that DFID provided funds are used effectively to deliver results on the ground.

Ugandan Refugees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of (a) the number of refugees in Uganda from neighbouring countries and (b) the number of repatriations and new arrivals per month since July 2004; how much humanitarian assistance has been delivered to Uganda for the corresponding months by (i) the UK, (ii) the EU and (iii) the UN; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Uganda currently hosts 230,194 refugees. These are drawn mainly from Sudan, Rwanda and the Congo. The largest number, approximately 130,000, are Sudanese. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is unable to provide a monthly break down of the number of repatriations and new arrivals. Since January 2004, 2,449 refugees have been repatriated and there have been approximately 19,027 new arrivals.
	In 2004, humanitarian assistance to Uganda totalled £81 million. During this period, the UK provided over £10 million, which was channelled through the UN system and the Red Cross. Other EU member states and the European Commission provided £14.1 million and £18.4 million respectively. In both cases this support was channelled through the UN system, the Red Cross and NGOs. In total the United Nations Consolidated Appeal received funding of £66.8 million, which represented 100 per cent. of its requested requirements.
	The UK was the third largest humanitarian donor to Uganda in 2004. Addressing humanitarian needs will remain an important objective for our Uganda programme.

Vietnam

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to help the Vietnamese Government in tackling HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has approved £16.4 million to help the Government of Vietnam prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Vietnam. This support began in January 2004 and will, over a 5-year period, seek to raise the level of protection of high-risk groups by promoting condom use, and use advertising campaigns to get HIV/AIDS prevention messages across to the country at large. It is too early to gauge results a year in, but around 40 million condoms were distributed to selected sites in 2004 which is expected to help reduce the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS among high-risk groups. This support is co-financed with the Norwegian Government and managed by the World Health Organisation and the Vietnamese Ministry of Health.
	DFID, together with other key donors has established a co-ordination mechanism to help promote the UNAIDS Three Ones" approach to tackling HIV/AIDS (that is One" action framework, One" national coordinating authority, and One" national monitoring and evaluation system. This will reduce the fragmentation of donor support and maximise the capacity of Government to respond to HIV/AIDS.
	DFID is planning to double its contribution to the HIV/AIDS Global Fund. Vietnam has received US$12 million from this fund over the period 2002 to 2005, US$7 million of this amount for HIV/AIDS.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Access to Work Programme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Coventry, South have received (a) full and (b) partial grants from the Access to Work programme in each year since its introduction.

Maria Eagle: Access to Work is a specialist disability programme, which provides practical advice and support to help disabled people enter or stay in paid employment. The support is aimed at overcoming work related obstacles resulting from disability. It does this through a system of grants towards the cost of providing support. The amount of support available to any individual will depend on their work related needs resulting from disability.
	Information is not available at constituency level. The available information for the west midlands region is in the table.
	
		Number of people helped by the Access to Work programme in the West Midlands region
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 New beneficiaries 1,492 1,279 
			 Existing beneficiaries 1,679 1,426 
			 Total beneficiaries 3,171 2,705 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Figures broken down by region are not available for earlier years.
	2.New beneficiaries are people who receive access to work assistance for the first time ever within the financial year. Existing beneficiaries are people who received access to work assistance in a previous financial year, and continue to receive financial support.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus internal Management Information

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning in the UK in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: The following table provides information for gas related carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning fatalities:
	
		Number of fatal injuries relating to the supply and use of flammable gas(23)
		
			  CO poisoning 
		
		
			 1996–97 31 
			 1997–98 28 
			 1998–99 37 
			 1999–2000 26 
			 2000–01 25 
			 2001–02 22 
			 2002–03 20 
			 2003–04(24) 12 
		
	
	(23)The table shows the number of fatalities reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 in Great Britain.
	(24)Provisional.
	Notes:
	1.Mainly piped gas but also includes bottled liquid petroleum gas (LPG).
	2.The figure for CO deaths in 2003–04 is the lowest on record.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that householders (a) obtain and (b) use certified carbon monoxide detectors.

Jane Kennedy: HSE provides the public with free information regarding the advantages of carbon monoxide (CO) detectors through publications and a telephone helpline. The gas industry has also advised householders of the advantages of CO detectors.
	CO alarms conforming to British Standards are a useful supplementary precaution but cannot be regarded as a substitute for the safe installation and maintenance of gas equipment by competent installers registered with the Council for Registered Gas Installers(CORGI.
	British Gas is currently developing a programme for supplying vulnerable groups with free CO detectors.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with gas suppliers on (a) the need for regular gas checks and (b) the efficient operations of gas appliances in domestic homes.

Jane Kennedy: The Health and Safety Executive met with the Energy Retail Association on 18 January 2005 about these matters. The Association is developing a national gas safety strategy that includes publicity about the need for regular maintenance of gas appliances. Regular maintenance and checks for safety assist the efficient functioning of gas appliances and systems.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last 10 years of landlords whose neglect of gas appliances caused the death of their tenants.

Jane Kennedy: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table provides information about the number of prosecutions of landlords instituted by HSE following deaths related to the supply and use of flammable gas.
	
		
			  Number of cases 
		
		
			 1996–97 0 
			 1997–98 4 
			 1998–99 3 
			 1999–2000 5 
			 2000–01 2 
			 2001–02 1 
			 2002–03 0 
			 2003–04 (Provisional) 0 
		
	
	Note:
	Data relates to cases under (i) Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 relating to duties owed by employers and the self employed to persons who are not their employees and under (ii) regulations 35 and 36 of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 and 1998 respectively that place specific duties on landlords and regulation 3(1) of both that relates to the competence of people carrying out gas work. Information from earlier years is not readily available.
	Source:
	Health and Safety Executive, Safety and Enforcement Statistics

Child Support Agency

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is possible to trace cases by (a) name and (b) address on the new Child Support Agency computer.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 26 January 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is possible to trace cases by name and address on the new Child Support Agency computer.
	Cases can be traced on the new computer system by searching with either:
	The client's national insurance number or child support reference number; or
	The client's full surname, forename(s) and gender (with date of birth being an optional additional criteria).
	It is currently not possible to search using a client's address.

Independent Living Fund

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of its budget the Independent Living Funds made available to (a) people with severe learning impairments and (b) families or carers with caring responsibilities for people with severe learning impairments in each year since 2001.

Maria Eagle: The Independent Living Funds (ILFs) make payments direct to the disabled client, they do not make payments to families or carers. However, some users may have third parties who provide assistance with managing personal assistance (PA) support and finances, but the ILFs database does not contain sufficient information to analyse payments according to who manages the money. The following table shows the percentage of the ILFs budget that has been paid directly to clients with severe learning impairments, since financial year 2001–02 to financial year 2003–04.
	
		
			  Total ILFs budget (£ million) Proportion paid to clients with severe learning impairments (percentage) 
		
		
			 2001–02 155.9 17.3 
			 2002–03 178.0 18.5 
			 2003–04 194.0 20.9

Independent Living Fund

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Independent Living Fund is required to explain the reasons for alterations in its funding arrangements to parties affected by such alterations.

Maria Eagle: Awards from the Independent Living Funds (ILFs) depend on the extent to which a person requires help towards personal care and domestic support. The ILFs conduct review visits of each client every two years and if it is apparent that clients' circumstances have changed, alterations to their awards would be made and clients would be made fully aware of the change and the reasons for the change.
	Where the ILFs make policy alterations that may have a potential impact on clients' awards, they also notify clients of these changes and the reasons associated with these changes.

Independent Living Fund

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budget of the Independent Living Fund was for each year since 2001.

Maria Eagle: There are two Independent Living Funds—the Independent Living (Extension) Fund and the Independent Living (1993) Fund.
	The budget for both funds since 2001 is as follows:
	
		
			  Budget (£ million) 
		
		
			 2001–02 155.9 
			 2002–03 178.0 
			 2003–04 194.0 
			 2004–05 214.3

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2005, Official Report, columns 624–25W, on pensions, how many (a) men and (b) women aged 54 years and over are contracted out with an appropriate personal pension or stakeholder pension.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the table.
	
		Number of men and women aged 54 and over contracted out with an appropriate personal pension or stakeholder pension
		
			 Gender Appropriate personal pension Stakeholder pension 
		
		
			 Men 213,000 (25)1,000 
			 Women 28,000 (25)1,000 
		
	
	(25)Figures for stakeholder pensions are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used only as a guide.
	Note:
	1.Figures are based on scheme membership at the end of the 2002–03 tax year, the latest year for which the information is available.
	2.They include those with earnings below the LEL (for example people on a career break or who are unemployed) who would not qualify for an age-related rebate for the 2002–03 tax year.
	3.Figures for appropriate personal pensions do not include those for stakeholder pensions.
	Source:
	Second Tier Pension Provision" published by the Department for Work and Pensions using the Lifetime Labour Market Database which uses a 1 per cent. sample of national insurance records.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adoptions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many adoptions have taken place in each of the last five years of children in care for (a) less than and (b) more than six months.

Margaret Hodge: The following table shows the number of looked after children adopted for the last five years by duration of care.
	
		Number
		
			  Year ending 31 March 
			 England 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Children looked after adopted 2,700 3,100 3,400 3,500 3,700 
			 Duration of final period of care(26)  
			 Under 6 months 10 20 10 10 10 
			 Over 6 months 2,700 3,000 3,400 3,500 3,700 
		
	
	(26)Period of care refers to a continuous period of being looked after, which may include more than one placement or legal status.
	Note: Figures over 1,000 have been rounded to the nearest 100. All other figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source: AD1, KS1 and SSDA903 returns

A-levels

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many GCE A-level entries of 16 to 18-year-old students there have been in (a) biological sciences, (b) chemistry, (c) physics, (d) mathematics, (e) French, (f) German, (g) Spanish and (h) media studies in each year since 1997; and what the mark required for an A grade has been in each subject by each of the examination boards offering them in each year.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested on GCE A-levels entries for 16 to 18-year-olds in all schools and colleges between 1997 and 2004 is given in the table:
	
		
			 Males and Females 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 
		
		
			 Biological sciences 44,290 43,902 45,407 44,592 46,190 47,192 48,897 47,807 
			 Chemistry 32,151 31,065 32,324 33,871 35,290 35,831 37,103 36,613 
			 Physics 24,645 26,278 27,860 28,031 28,191 29,552 29,672 28,903 
			 Mathematics 51,212 49,183 48,654 59,220 58,689 61 ,245 61,800 61,323 
			 French 12,486 12,904 13,599 15,393 15,240 17,774 19,629 21,446 
			 German 5,642 6,068 6,367 7,607 7,581 8,527 8,903 9,029 
			 Spanish 4,650 4,504 4,430 4,501 4,516 4,640 4,499 4,338 
			 Media/film/TV studies 20,997 19,270 16,748 13,656 12,166 11,374 10,805 8,967 
			 All subjects 676,397 662,693 645,041 681,578 672,518 680,098 681,168 665,549 
		
	
	Since 2002 the A-level standard has been set and maintained year on year through the setting of grade boundaries for assessment. These grade boundaries are then translated into fixed points on a uniform mark scale (UMS). For A-level the maximum total UMS score is always 600. An A grade is awarded for a score of 480+ UMS marks.
	The information for pre-2002 boundaries will be placed in the House of Commons Library when available.

Apprenticeships

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to develop a Graduate Apprenticeship Scheme.

Ivan Lewis: Following the launch of the Learning Age Green Paper (DfEE 1998) we did pump prime an initiative known as the Graduate Apprenticeship. These combined a higher education qualification (honours degree or higher) with structured work based learning underpinned by key skills and national vocational qualifications units. This early work provided a useful platform for developing foundation degrees which are now the main vehicle we have for expanding vocational higher education opportunities. They are designed with employers and combine work based learning with academic study. Since they were introduced in 2001 they have grown in popularity and there are currently 37,000 students on these programmes studying either full time or part time, including those studying with the backing of their employer. We are also working with HEFCE, the LSC and Sector Skills Councils at ways of strengthening progression for apprenticeships into higher education, including through foundation degrees, and we're still working with those sectors who feel there is still scope for a level 4 apprenticeship.

Artisan Shortfalls

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the shortfall in the London area of trained (a) plumbers, (b) construction workers and (c) electricians.

Ivan Lewis: Research carried out by CITB-Construction Skills in 2003, estimates the average annual requirement for plumbers, construction workers and electricians over the period 2003–2007 as:
	
		CITB-construction skills in 2003
		
			  Average annual requirement 
		
		
			 Electrical 1,090 
			 Plumbing(27) 680 
			 Construction(28) 7,030 
		
	
	(27)Including HV (Heating and Ventilation) RAC (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning)
	(28)Less plumbing and electrical
	CITB-Construction Skills are one of the first four Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to develop and publish a draft Sector Skills Agreement which articulates proposed action to address the construction sectors skill needs. Their proposals include setting specific industry targets for increasing the number of companies investing in training and increasing the number of workers completing apprenticeships.

Child Abuse (School Staff)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many formal references to her Department by heads of schools with suspicions about child abuse activities by members of staff have been made in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is not collected in a format to allow an answer to the question as asked. However, figures representing the total number of referrals to the Department in each of the last three years are set out in the following table. These include both child abuse and non child abuse issues from all sources that are required to report concerns to the Secretary of State, including local education authorities, supply agencies, school governors, the police and headteachers.
	
		
			  Number of referrals from all sources 
		
		
			 2004 1,362 
			 2003 1,147 
			 2002 1,007

Education Maintenance Allowance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people claimed education maintenance allowance in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by constituency.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and been paid EMA is available at local authority level rather than by constituency. The last complete academic year (2003/2004) for which figures are available is 2003/04.
	
		Number of students who received one or more EMA payments, 2003/04
		
			 LEA number LEA All 
		
		
			 202 Camden 1,266 
			 203 Greenwich 1,490 
			 204 Hackney 2,260 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 951 
			 206 Islington 1,350 
			 208 Lambeth 1,760 
			 209 Lewisham 1,980 
			 210 Southwark 1,764 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 2,897 
			 212 Wandsworth 1,159 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 987 
			 304 Brent 1,902 
			 307 Ealing 1,819 
			 309 Haringey 1,760 
			 316 Newham 2,806 
			 320 Waltham Forest 1,140 
			 330 Birmingham 9,877 
			 331 Coventry 2,449 
			 333 Sandwell 2,070 
			 335 Walsall 2,550 
			 336 Wolverhampton 2,455 
			 340 Knowsley 1,990 
			 341 Liverpool 4,950 
			 342 St. Helens 1,464 
			 344 Wirral 2,497 
			 350 Bolton 2,274 
			 352 Manchester 4,733 
			 353 Oldham 2,539 
			 355 Salford 1,283 
			 357 Tameside 2,149 
			 359 Wigan 2,484 
			 370 Barnsley 1,439 
			 371 Doncaster 2,550 
			 373 Sheffield 3,987 
			 380 Bradford 4,792 
			 383 Leeds 4,964 
			 384 Wakefield 2,291 
			 390 Gateshead 1,820 
			 392 North Tyneside 1,557 
			 393 South Tyneside 1,621 
			 394 Sunderland (29)— 
			 805 Hartlepool 815 
			 806 Middlesbrough 1,122 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull 2,061 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 1,394 
			 821 Luton 1,856 
			 852 Southampton 1,325 
			 856 Leicester 3,561 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 2,716 
			 876 Halton 1,153 
			 885 Worcestershire 3,075 
			 888 Lancashire (29)— 
			 892 Nottingham 3,001 
			 908 Cornwall 5,116 
			 929 Northumberland 2,673 
			 935 Suffolk (29)— 
		
	
	(29)No data available for Sunderland, Lancashire or Suffolk (pure transport pilots).

Education Provision (Northamptonshire)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the capital expenditure on schools was in Northampton in each year from 1985 to 2004.

Stephen Twigg: The capital allocations to Northamptonshire in respect of schools, for which information is available centrally, are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1996–97 7,524 
			 1997–98 8,453 
			 1998–99 15,394 
			 1999–2000 12,308 
			 2000–01 26,802 
			 2001–02 22,935 
			 2002–03 56,011 
			 2003–04 130,466 
			 2004–05 36,015 
		
	
	The figures include £23,700,000 and £100,700,000 Private finance initiative credits in 2002–03 and 2003–04 respectively. Capital expenditure on schools in a particular year will differ from the above due to timing differences, the level of resources available locally, and priorities in the local asset management plan.

Europass Initiative

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her Department's policy towards UK participation in the Europass initiative.

Ivan Lewis: The UK intends to participate fully in the new Europass initiative for the benefit it will bring to people wanting to explain their qualifications and competences when moving throughout Europe. We are now in the process of appointing a National Europass Centre to coordinate activities.

European Youth Initiatives

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on European Communities planned actions in the field of youth, with particular reference to projects arising from COM (2004) 337 and from the New Impetus for European Youth White Paper.

Kim Howells: In July 2004, the European Commission published its proposal for a decision to create a Youth In Action programme for the period 2007–13". This is the only planned action involving projects in the field of youth. The proposal is currently being negotiated in Council Working Party and the timetable for the completion of this negotiation is at present uncertain.
	The 2001 Commission White Paper A New Impetus for European Youth" identified four priority areas for policy cooperation and development:
	Participation
	Information
	Voluntary Activities
	Greater Understanding of Youth
	Since then, EU Youth Ministers have agreed common objectives for all four policy areas in the form of Council Resolutions. Document COM (2004) 337 contained the proposals for common objectives for voluntary activities.
	The Commission will invite member states to report on their progress towards meeting these objectives by the end of 2005 (participation and information); by the end of 2006 (voluntary activities) and by the end of 2008 (a greater understanding and knowledge of youth).

GCSEs

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children left school in the latest year for which figures are available without a GCSE qualification.

Stephen Twigg: The number of children that failed to achieve a GCSE or equivalent qualification in 2003/04 was 26,652, which represents 4.1 per cent. of the total number of 15-year-old pupils.

Higher Education (Manchester)

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 18 year-olds who were (a) resident in the City of Manchester and (b) resident in the Manchester, Withington constituency, entered higher education in the academic year 2002–03.

Kim Howells: holding answer 20 January 2005
	Participation rates at constituency level are not calculated by the department. The available information for 2002–03 is taken from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and covers 18-year-old applicants from Manchester LEA accepted through UCAS to full time first degree and HMD courses.
	The participation rates calculated are based upon all 18-year-olds, not just those who have been in secondary education. The population numbers are estimates and can be volatile from year to year, hence participation rates should be used only as a guide to the long term trend in participation in a particular area.
	
		Proportion of students aged 18 accepted through UCAS tofull-time undergraduate courses in the UK, by LEA of domicile, 2002–03
		
			 Domicile Accepted applicants aged 18 Percentage of 18-year-olds 
		
		
			 Manchester LEA(30) 762 12.1 
			 England 134,785 22.0 
		
	
	(30)The figures are derived from information collected on the UCAS application form. UCAS allocates an Area of Permanent Residence (APR) to each applicant, based upon their correspondence address, which is believed to largely correspond to LEAs, however, there may be some small differences between the postcodes coded under UCAS's APR classification and those coded under the Office of National Statistics (ONS) classifications.
	Source:
	Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
	The recent HEFCE publication Young participation in higher education" (HEFCE 2005/03) does look at the proportion of young people who enter higher education at age 18 or 19 by parliamentary constituency. A discussion of the participation divisions and trends (18-year-olds in 1994 to 18 year-olds in 2000) for constituencies is contained in the report [sections 2.12, 3.8 and 4.1].
	In addition participation rates for parliamentary constituencies based on this work are given on the supporting POLAR website (www.hefce.ac.uk/polar). These indicate that, for the cohorts reaching 18 between 1997 and 1999, 18 per cent. of young people living in Manchester LEA and 34 per cent. of young people living in the Manchester, Withington constituency entered higher education at age 18 or 19 (the English average for these cohorts is 29 per cent.).

Language Teachers

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the increase in the number of language teachers that would be needed to implement the recommendations of the Tomlinson Report;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the workforce training requirements of the implementation of the recommendation of the Tomlinson Report that languages should be either an elective or compulsory component in other specialisations.

Stephen Twigg: We are currently preparing a White Paper on the 14–19 phase, including our response to the recommendations of the final report of the Working Group on 14–19 Reform chaired by Mike Tomlinson. Our White Paper, which will be published soon, will include an assessment of the impact of our recommendations on work force; training; and teaching and learning in the 14–19 phase.

Medical Students

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students were at medical schools in the United Kingdom at 1 December 2004.

Kim Howells: The most recent information from the Higher Education Statistics (HESA) showing total student enrolments is for 1 December 2003 and is shown in the table. Comparable figures for 2004 will be available in December 2005.
	However, provisional information collected by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) shows that the number of entrants to undergraduate medical courses in England in 2004/05 rose by 4 per cent. compared with 2003/04.
	
		Enrolments on clinical and pre-clinical medical courses at UK HEIs: 2003/04
		
			  Enrolments 
		
		
			 Postgraduate 11,535 
			 Undergraduate 31,675 
			 Total 43,210 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are a snapshot count as at 1 December, and are rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

New Deal for Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much schools in Coventry, South have received under the New Deal for Schools.

Stephen Twigg: The amounts allocated to Coventry, South under the New Deal for Schools programme are set out in the table.
	
		
			  Amounts allocated (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 668,000 
			 1998–99 441,000 
			 1999–2000 1,941,000 
			 2000–01 4,398,000

Per Capita Funding

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the spending per head on pupils in Nottingham, North constituency was in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is submitted to the Department according to local education authority areas, rather than districts within an LEA. Nottingham, North forms part of City of Nottingham LEA. The information is contained within the following table:
	
		Combined LEA and school based expenditure1, 2per pupil(33), cash terms(36), provisional data(32)as reported by City of Nottingham LEA(35)
		
			  £ per pupil 
		
		
			 1997–982, 4, 5 2,570 
			 2003–042, 4 4,910 
		
	
	(31)The combined LEA and school based expenditure includes all expenditure on the education of children in LEA maintained establishments and pupils educated by the LEA other than in maintained establishments. This includes both school based expenditure and all elements of central LEA expenditure except youth and community and capital expenditure from revenue (CERA).
	(32)1997–98 financial data are taken from (pre local government reorganisation) Nottinghamshire LEA's Revenue Outturn spending return submitted to the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions. 2003–04 financial data are taken from City of Nottingham LEA's Section 52 Outturn Statement (Table A) submitted to the Department for Education and Skills. 2003–04 data remains provisional and is subject to change by the LEA.
	(33)Pupil figures include all pre-primary pupils, including these under fives funded by the LEA and being educated in private settings, pupils educated in maintained mainstream schools and other LEA maintained pupils. The pupil data for pupils attending maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools are taken from the DfES Annual Schools Census. Private voluntary and independent (PVI) under five pupil numbers are taken from the Early Years census but are only included in the 2003–04 pupil count. Other LEA maintained pupils includes ail pupils attending schools not maintained by the authority for whom the authority is paying full tuition fees, or educated otherwise than in schools and pupil referral units under arrangements made by the authority drawn from the form 8b submitted to the DfES. Also included as other LEA maintained pupils are all pupils attending pupil referral units who are not registered at a maintained mainstream school drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census. All pupil numbers are adjusted to be on a financial year basis.
	(34)Financial data is collected at local authority level and not constituency level and as such the figures provided are for City of Nottingham LEA. Local government reorganisation (LGR) took place on the 1 April 1998 where pre-LGR Nottinghamshire LEA was split into City of Nottingham LEA and Nottinghamshire LEA As a result, the 1997–98 data is for pre-LGR Nottinghamshire LEA and the 2003–04 data is for City of Nottingham LEA.
	(35)Spending in 1997–98 reflects the transfer of monies from local government to central Government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government from 1998–99.
	(36)Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 as at 24 January 2004.

Private Children's Homes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many private children's homes have been de-registered (a) due to voluntary closure and (b) under direction from her inspectors in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: I understand from the Chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection that at this time the Commission does not collect information in the format requested. Information provided by the Commission on the total number of private children's homes that have been de-registered from 1 April 2002 to 19 January 2005 is shown in the following table. Information is not available prior to 1 April 2002, the date when the National Care Standards Commission was created.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2002/03 91 
			 2003/04 156 
			 2004/05(37) 90 
		
	
	(37)1 April 2004 to 19 January 2005 only

Pupil Exclusions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many appeals were made against exclusions in 2004; and how many were upheld, broken down by constituency.

Derek Twigg: Latest information on exclusion appeals refers to 2002/03 when 1,070 appeals were lodged by parents against the permanent exclusion of their child from maintained primary, secondary and special schools in England.
	Information on appeals against permanent exclusion is collected at local education authority level. A table showing the requested information at this level has been placed in the House of Commons Libraries.

School Computers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on computers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Coventry South in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The Department does not hold information on funding for ICT at constituency level. However, Coventry South is in Coventry LEA and allocations for this authority, since 1998, are detailed in Funding for ICT in Schools in England" which is available in the House Library.

School Computers

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much Government funding has been allocated to computers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each of the last seven years.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to Funding for ICT in Schools in England" which is available in the House Library.

School Infrastructure

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been granted to the London borough of Wandsworth in helping to improve (a) primary and (b) secondary school buildings in each of the last five years.

Stephen Twigg: The amount of money allocated to the London borough of Wandsworth in helping to improve primary and secondary school buildings in each of the last five years is set out in the table.
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 2000–01 8,001 
			 2001–02 7,826 
			 2002–03 13,665 
			 2003–04 11,741 
			 2004–05 10,371 
		
	
	No records are maintained centrally of the split between (a) primary and (b) secondary school money, as this is determined locally in accordance with the authority's asset management plan.

School Places Allocations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many parental appeals were made against the allocation of school places in 2004; and how many were upheld, broken down by constituency.

Derek Twigg: Latest information on admission appeals refers to 2002/03 when 91,430 appeals were lodged by parents against non-admission of their children to maintained primary and secondary schools in England.
	Information on admission appeals is collected at local education authority (LEA) level for community and voluntary controlled schools; and at school level for voluntary aided, aided and foundation schools. A table showing the requested information at LEA level has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

School Sports

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent on improving school sports facilities at schools within the London borough of Wandsworth in each of the last three years.

Stephen Twigg: Information on improving sports facilities at schools within the London borough of Wandsworth is contained within the authority's local asset management plan, and is not held centrally.

Specialist Language Colleges

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many entries there were at A-level in (a) French, (b) German and (c) modern languages from schools currently designated as specialist language colleges in each of the last eight years, including entries from such schools before their designation.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested on GCE A-levels entries for 16 to 18-year-olds in specialist language colleges between 1997 and 2004 is given in the table:
	
		
			  French German Other modern languages All modern languages 
		
		
			 2004 914 435 660 2,009 
			 2003 913 512 567 1,992 
			 2002 936 500 525 1,961 
			 2001 1,033 542 484 2,059 
			 2000 1,014 571 444 2,029 
			 1999 1,152 600 443 2,195 
			 1998 1,188 598 407 2,193 
			 1997 1,315 553 361 2,229 
		
	
	The specialist language colleges included are those operational on 1 September 2004.

Truancy

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children played truant in the latest year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: The number of children with at least one half day of unauthorised absence in England in 2003/04 was 1,264,103. This includes pupils absent on holiday without approval from the headteacher or who are late. School attendance at 93.43 per cent. is the highest on record.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Alcohol-related Illness

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has regarding the extent of alcohol-related illness in the Province, and how this compares with the position (a) 10 and (b) 20 years ago.

Angela Smith: Information is collected on the number of admissions 1 to Northern Ireland hospitals on a range of alcohol-related illnesses. The following table provides figures for selected alcohol-related illnesses in the years 2003–04 (the latest available) and 1996–97 (the earliest comparable data available).
	1 Discharges and deaths are used as an approximation for admissions.
	
		
			  Number of admissions 
			 Description of alcohol-related illness 1996–97 2003–04 
		
		
			 Mental/behaviour disorders due to alcohol 3,364 3,513 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 38 31 
			 Alcoholic gastritis 195 254 
			 Alcoholic hepatitis 72 113 
			 Alcoholic fibrosis/sclerosis of liver 20 15 
			 Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver 174 251 
			 Alcoholic hepatic failure 73 87 
			 Alcoholic liver disease, unspec 123 450 
			 Total 4,059 4,714

Chiropody

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the response of 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 1524W, how many individuals are waiting for initial chiropody assessment, for those health trusts for which the information is available.

Angela Smith: Information on the number of individuals awaiting podiatry (chiropody) assessment is not collected centrally. Waiting list information is not recorded by all trusts, and is not recorded on a consistent basis by those trusts that do collect the information. The number of persons waiting for initial podiatry (chiropody) assessment for trusts for which information is available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Trust Number waiting initial assessment appointment 
		
		
			 South and East Belfast 1,867 
			 North and West Belfast 389 
			 Ulster Community Hospital 554 
			 Down Lisburn 422 
			 Causeway 558 
			 Homefirst 1,291 
			 Foyle 506 
			 Sperrin Lakeland 1,289 
		
	
	Notes:
	The information shown is for trusts where data is available. All figures are as at 31 December 2004, except Homefirst Community Health and Social Services Trust, which shows the position at 30 November 2004.
	Information relating to Foyle Community Health and Social Services Trust and Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Services Trust are based on numbers of persons waiting for treatment, as opposed to initial assessment, by a podiatrist, although in most cases assessment and treatment take place on the same day.
	Southern Health and Social Services Board area Trusts do not hold official waiting list figures, although in some trusts this information is recorded by professional staff. Any data collected are held on manual systems and could be provided only at disproportionate cost because of the time required to extract the information.
	Source:
	Health and Social Services Trusts

Costello Report

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what he expects the costs to be of implementing the recommendations of the Costello Report in the Province.

Barry Gardiner: Additional resources of some £20 million have been secured over the next three years for the implementation of the new arrangements for post-primary education. As these new arrangements will largely be developed at local level, decisions on the distribution of the resources available have yet to be taken. I anticipate, however, that they will enable us to support the phased introduction of key elements of the new arrangements, including the Pupil Profile, the Entitlement Framework and the development of co-operation and collaboration between schools and between schools and FE colleges.

Dilutional Hyponatraemia

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many dilutional hyponatraemia-related deaths occurred in the Province in each of the last 20 years.

Angela Smith: The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland for each year between 1984 and 2003, where
	(i) the underlying cause of death was hyponatraemia" 1 or fluid overload" 2 ; or
	(ii) an associated/secondary cause of death was hyponatraemia" 1 or fluid overload" 2 .
	1 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code E87.1 for years 2001–03 and Ninth Revision code 276.1 for years 1984–2000.
	2 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code E87.7 for years 2001–03 and Ninth Revision code 276.6 for years 1984–2000.
	
		Number of registered deaths by year in Northern Ireland where the primary or an associated/secondary cause of death was hyponatraemia" or fluid overload'
		
			 Registration year Deaths where the primary cause of death was hyponatraemia" or fluid overload' Deaths where an associated/secondary cause of death was hyponatraemia" or fluid overload' 
		
		
			 1984 0 0 
			 1985 0 0 
			 1986 0 1 
			 1987 0 1 
			 1988 1 1 
			 1989 0 3 
			 1990 1 1 
			 1991 0 2 
			 1992 0 2 
			 1993 1 2 
			 1994 0 0 
			 1995 0 3 
			 1996 1 4 
			 1997 0 2 
			 1998 0 2 
			 1999 0 8 
			 2000 0 5 
			 2001 0 0 
			 2002 1 9 
			 2003 1 9

Early Years Development Fund

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been spent on the Early Years Development Fund in each constituency in Northern Ireland in each year since its introduction.

Angela Smith: Information regarding allocations Early Years Development Fund (EYDF) broken down by parliamentary constituency is not available. EYDF provides a degree of infrastructural support to the Childcare Partnerships. The Department provides the Childcare Partnerships with a percentage allocation of the annual EYDF budget available, which can then be targeted to provide support for suitable projects/activities in the Partnership area. In addition, the Department also uses a portion of EYDF to support a range of diverse organisations and activities across Northern Ireland.
	The following table shows the overall level of investment in the Early Years Development Fund at Northern Ireland and Childcare Partnership level since 1999.
	
		£ million
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Northern Ireland 0.36 1.37 1.41 1.46 1.54 1.60 
			 Eastern childcare partnership 0.19 0.39 0.38 0.39 0.41 0.45 
			 Western childcare partnership 0.09 0.23 0.23 0.24 0.25 0.29 
			 Northern childcare partnership 0.02 0.26 0.21 0.22 0.23 0.26 
			 Southern childcare partnership 0.04 0.22 0.20 0.21 0.21 0.22

Economic Activity (East Londonderry)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public funding has been spent in each of the last three years on offering assistance to representatives of companies sited in the constituency of East Londonderry at the invitation of Invest Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: The following table provides information relating to offers made to clients within the East Londonderry parliamentary constituency area during the three years up to end March 2004. Included is the total amount of planned investment to which these offers contributed.
	
		
			  Number of offers Assistance (£) Planned investment (£) 
		
		
			 2001–02 44 2,006,291 6,984,996 
			 2002–03 59 4,168,042 13,950,428 
			 2003–04 116 5,515,632 10,952,580 
			 Total 219 11,689,965 31,888,004 
		
	
	Invest NI data are provided for the most recent two years. Information for the year 2001–02 is based on the addition of funding provided by two of Invest NI's legacy agencies—the Industrial Development Board and the Local Enterprise Development Unit.

Influenza

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients in the Province have been diagnosed with influenza in each month over the past five years; how many have died from influenza in the Province in each of the last 20 years; and how many cases of each subtype of influenza were diagnosed in the Province since 1 November 2004.

Angela Smith: The information is as follows:
	(i) Information on the number of patients diagnosed with influenza in each month over the last five years within the Province is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			 Month/year Number of influenza detections 
		
		
			 2000  
			 January 228 
			 February 56 
			 March 13 
			 April 11 
			 May 10 
			 June 18 
			 July 4 
			 August 5 
			 September 3 
			 October 8 
			 November 2 
			 December 8 
			   
			 2001  
			 January 14 
			 February 25 
			 March 39 
			 April 61 
			 May 17 
			 June 19 
			 July 7 
			 August 5 
			 September 35 
			 October 66 
			 November 7 
			 December 5 
			   
			 2002  
			 January 2 
			 February 9 
			 March 12 
			 April 15 
			 May 6 
			 June 4 
			 July 3 
			 August 0 
			 September 0 
			 October 0 
			 November 3 
			 December 0 
			   
			 2003  
			 January 1 
			 February 1 
			 March 0 
			 April 2 
			 May 0 
			 June 0 
			 July 0 
			 August 0 
			 September 0 
			 October 17 
			 November 22 
			 December 7 
			   
			 2004  
			 January 2 
			 February 2 
			 March 0 
			 April 0 
			 May 1 
			 June 0 
			 July 0 
			 August 0 
			 September 0 
			 October 0 
			 November 8 
			 December 14 
		
	
	(ii) The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland for each year between 1984 and 2003, due to influenza" 1
	
		
			 Registration year Influenza" deaths 
		
		
			 1984 15 
			 1985 28 
			 1986 23 
			 1987 2 
			 1988 9 
			 1989 43 
			 1990 48 
			 1991 5 
			 1992 6 
			 1993 17 
			 1994 3 
			 1995 9 
			 1996 6 
			 1997 8 
			 1998 2 
			 1999 5 
			 2000 39 
			 2001 0 
			 2002 1 
			 2003 4 
		
	
	(38)International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes J10-J11 for years 2001–03 and Ninth Revision code 487 for years 1984–2000.
	Source:
	Northern Ireland Statistical Research Agency
	(iii) Since 1 November 2004, there have been a total of 28 laboratory-confirmed influenza infections in Northern Ireland. All are influenza A: four have been typed as influenza A H3, 12 have been typed as influenza A HI. The remaining 12 viruses have not been sub-typed.

Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) young people and (b) staff have been injured in the past (i) six and (ii) 12 months while using restraining methods at the Juvenile Justice Centre; and whether any review was carried out following each incident.

John Spellar: This is an operational responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland (Bill Lockhart). He has reported the figures in the table and advised me that the majority of the injuries can be classed as minor and includes red marks, bruises and superficial scratches.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Injuries in past 6 months (July to December 2004)  
			 Young people 27 
			 Staff 21 
			   
			 Injuries in past 12 months (January to December 2004)  
			 Young people 44 
			 Staff 28 
		
	
	Every incident involving the use of physical restraint is recorded in the appropriate log book and signed off by the Unit Manager or Duty Manager in his/her absence. These log books are subject to regular scrutiny by Senior Managers. Every incident of physical restraint is subject to review at the daily Information Meeting attended by Senior and Duty Managers.

National Assets

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a list of assets held by (a) each Northern Ireland Department and (b) the Northern Ireland Office since publication of the National Assets Register; what the value of the asset at the time of the compilation of the register was; what its current value is; and in the case of assets acquired or disposed of since the publication of the register, what the acquisition or disposal price was in each case.

Ian Pearson: The resource accounts for each Northern Ireland Department have been laid in the House and show, in summary form, the assets held together with the acquisitions and disposals during the year. It is intended to publish an updated version of the National Asset Register to inform the next spending review which is expected to be in 2006. Producing the information in the form requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Peace Funding

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money he has allocated towards core funding for the victims sector in Northern Ireland for the next financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The current core funding scheme for victims and survivors groups, due to end on 31 March 2005, is to be extended for a further year until 31 March 2006 and core funded groups have recently been advised of this by the Intermediary Funding Body, the Community Relations Council. Approximately £1.8 million will be allocated to cover this extended period enabling groups to continue their important work.
	The existing scheme has been subject to an independent evaluation which is in the process of completion and its recommendations will inform future funding arrangements for the sector. In addition work by the Victims Unit of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister is in hand on the next phase of policy in relation to victims and survivors. This will be the subject of consultation and it is considered that an extension to the existing Scheme will allow everyone sufficient time, not only to respond to the consultation, but also to prepare for any new arrangements which may emerge.

Physiotherapy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals in each of the Province's health board areas are awaiting an initial assessment by a physiotherapist.

Angela Smith: Information on the number of individuals awaiting an initial assessment by a physiotherapist is not collected centrally. Waiting list information is not recorded by all Boards and is not recorded on a consistent basis by those Boards, which do collect the information. The information that Boards were able to provide in relation to the number of people waiting for an initial physiotherapist assessment is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Board Number waiting initial assessment appointment 
		
		
			 EHSSB 3,899 
			 NHSSB (39)3,183 
			 SHSSB n/a 
			 WHSSB (39)2,162 
		
	
	n/a = Non applicable.
	(39)The information shown is for each Health and Social Services Board where data is available. All figures are as at 31 December 2004, except Causeway Health and Social Services Trust within the Northern Board area, which shows the position at: 30 November 2004 and Altnagelvin Health and Social Services Trust within the Western Board area, which shows the position at 1 December 2004.
	Source:
	Health and Social Services Boards
	Information relating to Altnagelvin Health and Social Services Trust and Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Services Trust (WHSSB) is based on the number of people waiting for treatment, as opposed to waiting for initial assessment, by a physiotherapist, although in most cases assessment and treatment take place on the same day.
	Southern Board area Trusts do not hold official waiting list figures, although in some Trusts this information is recorded by professional staff. Any data collected are held on manual systems and could only be provided at disproportionate cost due to the time that would be required to extract the information.

Planning Applications

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria the Planning Service in Northern Ireland uses in its consultation process with local councils regarding decisions on whether to discuss deferred planning applications (a) on site and (b) in office.

Angela Smith: The Planning Service does not apply any specific criteria when deciding whether a site or office meeting is required following deferral of an application for a meeting by a local council. Each request is considered on its particular merits.

Post-primary School Admissions Criteria

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to publish the consultation document on alternative admissions criteria to post-primary schools.

Barry Gardiner: I will publish a consultation document on new admissions arrangements for post-primary schools on Friday 28 January. The document will include consideration of admissions criteria to be used by post-primary schools if they have more applications than places available.
	This is an open consultation and everyone is invited to submit their views. The closing date for the consultation is 30 June 2005 and I will consider all of the views expressed in the consultation before decisions are taken on new admissions arrangements.

Public Sector Holiday

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he intends that 13 July should cease to be a public sector holiday in the Province.

Ian Pearson: There are no plans to alter the observance of 13 July as a privilege holiday for the staff of the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and also those staff of the Northern Ireland Office who are located in Northern Ireland.
	While holidays for the staff in the wider public sector are a matter for the relevant employer, prior to December 2004, Health and Personal Social Services staff had 10 public holidays and two additional privilege days, historically taken on 13 July and a third day at Christmas. Under the UK-wide pay modernisation Agenda for Change", implemented on 1 December 2004, the two additional privilege holidays were converted to annual leave for Health and Personal Social Services staff.

Sex Offenders

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  whether the person convicted of a sexual offence and added to the Sex Offenders Register in the Republic of Ireland, whose name has been communicated to him, has been added to the Northern Ireland Sex Offenders Register since his release from HMP Magilligan in November 2004;
	(2)  for what reasons there has been a delay in the addition of the person convicted of a sexual offence and added to the Sex Offenders Register in the Republic of Ireland, whose name has been communicated to him, to the Northern Ireland Sex Offenders Register since the coming into force of the relevant provisions of the Sexual Offences Act 2004.

John Spellar: I understand that, on 30 November, the court, in the jurisdiction in which the person now resides, granted an order which made the person subject to the notification requirements of Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
	While the person is not residing in Northern Ireland he is not required to notify his details to the PSNI.

Speech and Language Therapy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals in each of the Province's health board areas are awaiting an initial assessment by a speech and language therapist.

Angela Smith: Information on the number of individuals awaiting an initial assessment by a speech and language therapist is not collected centrally. Waiting list information is not recorded by all Boards and is not recorded on a consistent basis by those Boards, which do collect the information. The information that Boards were able to provide in relation to the number of people waiting for initial speech and language assessment is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Board Number waiting initial assessment appointment 
		
		
			 EHSSB 796 
			 NHSSB (40)807 
			 SHSSB n/a 
			 WHSSB 394 
		
	
	n/a = Non applicable.
	(40)The information shown is for each Health and Social Services Board where data is available. All figures are as at 31 December 2004, except Home first Health and Social Service Trust within the Northern Board area, which shows the position at 30 November 2004.
	Information relating to Foyle Community Health and Social Services Trust and Sperrin Lakeland Health Social Service Trust (Western Health ad Social Services Board) is based on the number of people waiting for treatment, as opposed to waiting for initial assessment, by a speech therapist, although in most cases assessment and treatment take place on the same day.
	Southern Health and Social Services Board area Trusts do not hold official waiting list figures, although in some Trusts this information is recorded by professional staff. Any data collected are held on manual systems and could only be provided at disproportionate cost due to the time that would be required to extract the information.

Sure Start

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent in Northern Ireland on the Sure Start Programme in each year since its introduction, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Angela Smith: When Sure Start was introduced in July 2000, investment stood at £4 million full-year cost (£2 million in-year cost). Information regarding Sure Start allocations by parliamentary constituency is not available but the following table shows the overall investment in Sure Start at Northern Ireland and Childcare Partnership level since the programme was introduced in July 2000:
	
		£ million
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Northern Ireland 2 5.8 6.6 8.5 8.8 
			 Eastern childcare partnership 0.74 2.15 2.59 3.34 3.45 
			 Western childcare partnership 0.44 1.28 1.40 1.80 1.90 
			 Northern childcare partnership 0.42 1.22 1.33 1.72 1.77 
			 Southern childcare partnership 0.40 1.16 1.27 1.64 1.69

Water Industry

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been paid to date to the European Commission as a result of the failure of Northern Ireland's Water Service to meet EC Water Directive standards.

Angela Smith: To date, no money has been paid out on fines.
	If the Commission considers that there may be an infringement of EU law that warrants the opening of an infringement procedure under Article 226 of the EC treaty, it addresses a Letter of Formal Notice" (first written warning) to the member state concerned, requesting it to submit its observation by a specified date, usually two months.
	In light of the reply or absence of a reply from the member state concerned, the Commission may decide to address a Reasoned Opinion" (final written warning) to the member state. This clearly and definitively sets out the reasons why it considers there to have been an infringement of EU law and calls upon the member state to comply within a specified period, normally two months.
	If a member state fails to comply with the Reasoned Opinion, the Commission may decide to bring the case before the European Court of Justice. The Court can make a judgment confirming that the member state is in breach of its obligations. The member state must then take steps to comply with the judgment as soon as possible.
	Once a judgment has been reached, the Commission may progress the case to Article 228 proceedings. This also involves Letters of Formal Notice" and Reasoned Opinion" stages. Article 228 also allows the Commission to ask the Court to impose a financial penalty on the member state concerned.

Youth Unemployment

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of young people in Northern Ireland were (a) unemployed and not in full-time education and (b) economically inactive and not in full-time education (i) at 31 March of each year since 1997 and (ii) for the most recent month for which figures are available.

Barry Gardiner: The Northern Ireland Labour Force Survey (LFS) can provide the information requested, but only on a quarterly basis. Estimates for the spring quarters (March-May) from 1997 to 2004, along with the latest estimates from autumn (September-November) 2004 are provided in the following table.
	
		Number and proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds, not in full-time education that are unemployed or economically inactive
		
			  Unemployed Economically inactive 
			  Thousand Percentage of all Thousand Percentage of all 
		
		
			 March-May 
			 1997 11 5 23 11 
			 1998 12 6 14 7 
			 1999 11 5 15 7 
			 2000 12 6 15 7 
			 2001 12 6 15 7 
			 2002 11 5 20 9 
			 2003 12 6 17 8 
			 2004 11 5 23 10 
			 September-November 
			 2004 17 8 23 10 
		
	
	Source:
	Labour Force Survey

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about the Burmese army's commencement of construction in Northern Nyaunglebin District of Mon Township of a new camp using forced labour;
	(2)  what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about the use of forced labour in the construction by the Burma army of four new camps in Nyaunglebin District, Western Karen State.

Douglas Alexander: We have not made representations to the State Peace and Development Council about these specific cases.
	The Burmese Government have still to address the international community's concerns over the use of forced labour in Burma. We fully support the efforts of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other agencies to end permanently the use of forced labour. Our embassy is in close touch with the ILO office in Rangoon.
	Burma's General System of Preferences trade privileges were suspended by the EC in 1997 in response to our concerns over forced labour in the country. Targeted restrictive measures against Burma have been steadily strengthened through the EU's Common Position, most recently in October 2004, to reflect the lack of progress on this and other issues.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will urge the Government of Burma to ensure that former prisoners, political activists and their families are not subjected to arbitrary detention, discrimination or harassment;
	(2)  if he will urge the Government of Burma to initiate a moratorium on the use of laws restricting the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, with particular reference to (a) the 1975 State Protection Law, (b) the 1950 Emergency Provisions Law, (c) the 1962 Printers and Publishers Law and (d) the 1908 Illegal Associations Law;
	(3)  if he will urge the Government of Burma (a) to consider an amnesty for all political prisoners and (b) to make public full information on all political detainees;
	(4)  if he will urge the Government of Burma immediately and unconditionally (a) to release all prisoners of conscience held on account of their peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of association and expression and (b) not to penalise anyone for his or her peaceful exercise of those rights.

Douglas Alexander: We have highlighted our concerns over freedom of expression and assembly in Burma in successive UK and EU co-sponsored UN resolutions, most recently at the UN General Assembly on 23 December. These resolutions emphasise that the Burmese regime should fully respect all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression and association. We, and our international partners, have consistently called on the Burmese authorities to release immediately and unconditionally all detained or imprisoned political prisoners; I most recently did so in my statement of 30 November 2004. A copy of the statement is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/uk/policy/news/press-releases.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will urge the Government of Burma to allow all political prisoners to stay in prisons which are close to their families;
	(2)  if he will urge the Government of Burma to investigate all reports of deaths in custody;
	(3)  if he will urge the Government of Burma to ensure that punishments in prisons do not constitute torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment;
	(4)  if he will urge the Government of Burma to ensure that prisoners are (a) held in conditions which meet international standards, (b) provided with proper medical care on a timely basis and an adequate diet and (c) supplied with mosquito nets;
	(5)  if he will urge the Government of Burma to ensure that prisoners in every (a) prison, (b) labour camp and (c) other detention facility in Burma have (i)opportunities to socialise with one another and (ii)access to reading and writing materials of their choice;
	(6)  if he will urge the Government of Burma (a) to investigate all allegations of incommunicado detention and torture (i) in interrogation and (ii) in prison, (b) to take steps to bring those responsible to justice and (c) to take immediate steps to put an end to these practices;
	(7)  what discussions he has had with the Government of Burma about deaths in custody in Burma in 2004.

Douglas Alexander: We remain concerned about reported prison conditions in Burma and call on the Burmese regime to implement fully its international human rights obligations, including the humane treatment of prisoners.
	We maintain that all prisoners should be held in accordance with international standards. There can be no excuse for the deliberate mistreatment or neglect of prisoners. Our embassy in Rangoon keeps in close contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross and Amnesty International, which have been able to visit prisons in Burma, in order to monitor conditions in which prisoners are kept. We are fully supportive of their efforts to improve such conditions.
	We regularly raise our concerns on human rights issues with the Burmese authorities, most recently when I met the Burmese ambassador on 29 November.
	We fully support the efforts of UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Professor Sergio Pinheiro and urge the regime to co-operate fully with him and allow him to visit Burma. He has a crucial role to play, including in these areas.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will urge the Government of Burma to review all trials of political prisoners which have fallen short of appropriate international standards;
	(2)  if he will urge the Government of Burma to ensure that fair trial standards are upheld in political cases including (a) the right to legal counsel, (b) the right to presumption of innocence, (c) the right to a public trial, (d) the right to defend oneself and (e) the right to adequate time and resources to prepare a defence;
	(3)  if he will urge the Government of Burma (a) to ensure that juveniles are deprived of their liberty only as a last resort, (b) to guarantee that juveniles are not held in detention with adults and (c) to promote alternatives to judicial proceedings and institutional care where appropriate to the child's well-being;
	(4)  what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about its misuse of detention and security legislation;
	(5)  what representations he has made to the Government of Burma about ensuring due process in trials of persons accused of subversive political activities.

Douglas Alexander: We believe that the Burmese justice system continues to fall short of international fair trial standards. Our concerns over human rights and the rule of law in Burma are well known and have regularly been made clear to the Burmese authorities, most recently when I met the Burmese ambassador on 29 November.
	We maintain that all prisoners should be tried fairly in accordance with international standards.
	We fully support the efforts of UN special rapporteur for human rights in Burma, Professor Sergio Pinheiro and urge the regime to co-operate fully with him and allow him to visit Burma. He has a crucial role to play, including in these areas.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether U Win Tin, imprisoned in Burma since 1989, has been released.

Douglas Alexander: As far as we are aware, U Win Tin remains in Insein Prison. We have repeatedly called on the Burmese regime to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners so as to allow them to play an active role in national reconciliation in Burma. We shall continue to do so. Their plight was most recently raised in December's UK co-sponsored UN General Assembly resolution. U Win Tin is on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) freedom of expression panel list of imprisoned journalists. His case was highlighted in the FCO's Annual Human Rights Report, launched last November.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent inquiries he has made of the Government of Burma about the health of (a) Soe Myint, (b) Lin Lin Tun, (c) Aye Myintthan and (d) Hnin May Aung, imprisoned in Burma for their activities in political opposition to the ruling military junta.

Douglas Alexander: We have not made representations about these particular cases.
	I met the Burmese ambassador on 29 November and called for the release of all political prisoners in Burma. My statement on 30 November also called for the release of all political prisoners. A copy of the statement is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases.
	We hold the Burmese regime responsible for the health of all political prisoners in Burma.

Burma

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent actions by the military regime in Burma.

Douglas Alexander: We remain deeply concerned by developments in Burma in particular the news that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is now formally detained under Section 10(b) of the State Protection Law and that her house arrest has been extended until November 2005.
	We fully support the UN Secretary-General's statement of 16 December 2004 reminding the Burmese authorities of their responsibility to ensure Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's security and well-being.
	The Burmese regime has committed itself
	to build a modern, prosperous, democratic nation".
	For this to happen, it is essential that the National Convention (to draw up a new constitution) which reconvenes on February 17 is an inclusive and transparent process, involving all political parties and ethnic groups in Burma. Without their participation, it lacks all credibility.
	The UK remains committed to helping Burma achieve national reconciliation and we will respond positively to tangible progress.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 29 November 2004, with regard to Mr. Sohail Khalil Dar.

Chris Mullin: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) replied today.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, dated (a) 8 December 2004 with regard to Mr. Majid Ali, (b) 29 November 2004 with regard to Mr. Z. Ali, (c) 15 November 2004 with regard to Gamul Alam and (d) 9 November 2004 with regard to S. Hameed.

Chris Mullin: My hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) replied to (a) today. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to (b) on 17 January 2005, (c) on 7 December 2004 and (d) on 20 December 2004.

Correspondence

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 5 December 2004 from the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East concerning Mrs. Musthasina Begum, wife of Mr. D. Miah, reference 77853.

Douglas Alexander: The hon. Member's letter was forwarded to UKvisas, the Department responsible for entry clearance matters arising overseas, on 9 December for reply. A reply was sent on 25 January.

Diplomatic Bags

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the application of the Vienna Convention to the operation of the diplomatic bag service.

Douglas Alexander: Our diplomatic bag and its transit complies with Article 27 of the Vienna Convention. We have diplomatic service procedures in place to ensure compliance of the convention. These procedures are regularly reviewed in consultation with our legal, protocol and security advisers.

Equatorial Guinea

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) the UK Government and (b) UK banks are assisting the government of Equatorial Guinea with its investigation into the alleged coup attempt.

Chris Mullin: The Equatorial Guinean Government have sought assistance from the British Government in relation to their investigations following the alleged attempted coup in March 2004. We have made clear that within the framework of UK law we will offer every assistance to help them bring to justice those who may have sought to overthrow a sovereign government. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has acted as a channel of communication between the Equatorial Guinean government and the Home Office in respect of the request for mutual legal assistance. It is now for the Police and Crown Prosecution Service, on the basis of evidence provided, to decide whether to launch a domestic investigation and/or prosecution.
	The British Government are not in a position to answer on behalf of private institutions.

Eritrea

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what benchmarks he measures progress in human rights dialogue with the Eritrea Government.

Chris Mullin: We assess human rights dialogue with Eritrea, in partnership with EU colleagues, on a regular basis against the terms of the Cotonou Agreement.

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by his Department in the last three years.

Jack Straw: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Constitutional Affairs (Mr. Leslie) gave him on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 140W.

Georgia

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Georgia concerning (a) attacks upon Baptist church buildings, including two attacks upon the church in the village of Kuchatani in October and December 2004, (b) threats to and intimidation of members of minority religious denominations in Georgia, including Baptists, Pentecostals, Lutherans and Catholics, (c) the Government's stance on according legal status to faiths other than the Georgian Orthodox Church and (d) permission for religious groups to build non-Orthodox places of worship.

Douglas Alexander: Our embassy in Tbilisi maintain a close interest in issues relating to freedom of religion in Georgia. We are aware that a draft amendment to the law has been submitted to enable the registration of non-orthodox faiths and that the Liberty Institute has lodged a suit with the Constitutional Court to remove the article in the existing law which prohibits the registration of non-orthodox faiths. We will continue toclosely monitor the situation and keep in close touchwith our EU, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Council of Europe partners.

Parliamentary Questions

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  when he will reply substantively to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Thurrock for named day answer on 16 December 2004, question 205526;
	(2)  when he will reply to question 205526, tabled by the hon. Member for Thurrock on 13 December 2004; what the reasons for the delay in replying are; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: I apologise for the delay in replying, this is due in part to the need to consult a large number of overseas missions and partly due to errors by officials. I will reply shortly.

Proof of Death

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the review of the criteria necessary for proof of death abroad in exceptional circumstances following the Asian tsunami disaster will apply also to victims of other disasters.

Chris Mullin: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The Government are carrying out a review of the response to the Asian tsunami disaster, to identify lessons that we can learn for dealing with other disasters. It would be wrong to pre-judge the conclusions of that review.

Sudan

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Sudan.

Chris Mullin: We welcome the signature of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on 9 January. This offers the prospect of ending Africa's longest running civil war, and can pave the way for peace in the whole of Sudan, including Darfur. A challenging period of implementation, including drafting a new constitution and forming a government of national unity, now faces the parties. We stand ready to support them in doing so. The United Nations is currently preparing for the deployment of a Peace Support Operation in support of the CPA.
	Peace talks between the Government of Sudan and the rebels in Darfur are expected to resume in Abuja in the next few weeks. We will continue to press both sides to engage in good faith to find a lasting solution to the conflict in Darfur.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Sudanese authorities on the reports of a combined attack by the Government of Sudan airforce and the Janjaweed militas upon the village of Hamada, in Southern Darfur, on 16 January.

Douglas Alexander: We have repeatedly made clear to the Government of Sudan and the rebels that they must respect the ceasefire and abide by the Abuja Protocols, including the Government's commitment to refrain from military overflights of Darfur.
	The African Union is currently investigating the alleged Arab militia attack on the village of Hamadah. We await the result of its investigation.

Syria

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Syrian Government on Hezbollah and Hamas.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 26 January 2005
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed these organisations with the Syrian Foreign Minister Shara'a on 18 October 2004 during his visit to London. During this and other discussions with the Syrian Government, we have urged Syria to use its influence with Hezbollah, Hamas and other groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to call on these groups to reject the use of violence.

UNHCR Staff (Nepal)

Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the 2002 report by the Inspector General's Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) into alleged rape and child abuse by UNHCR staff in Nepal.

Douglas Alexander: The 2002 report made allegations of sexual abuse by 18 people, including 16 Bhutanese refugees and two Nepalese officials. None of the 18 worked for UNHCR. But three UNHCR staff were accused in the report of gross negligence for failing to respond adequately to the abuse. Following a rebuttal of these allegations by the three UNHCR staff as well as a legal analysis of the case, a final review in 2004 concluded that there had been no wrongdoing by UNHCR staff, that no instructions had been wilfully disregarded, and that the conduct of the staff did not justify disciplinary action. The Government take any such allegations very seriously. We welcome the steps UNHCR has taken since 2002 to review its staff code of conduct, reinforcing the need for a zero tolerance approach to sexual abuse.

Vietnam

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what steps are being taken to encourage the removal of the death penalty in Vietnam;
	(2)  what recent assessment has been made of the number of state executions in Vietnam; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The first EU-Vietnam Seminar on the Death Penalty, partly funded by the UK, took place in Hanoi on 24–26 November 2004. We are encouraged by Vietnamese willingness to enter into a dialogue on this issue and hope to build on this progress.
	Total abolition of the death penalty is unlikely in the near future. But we welcome Vietnam's willingness to debate the issue, and to consider narrowing the use of the death penalty in the next two-three years.
	We regret that the death penalty is still widely used in Vietnam. It has one of the highest rates of death sentences and executions. 29 different offences, including non-violent ones, are capital crimes. More than 60 people are believed to have been executed in 2003, double that of 2002. On 5 January 2004, the Prime Minister of Vietnam declared death penalty statistics state secrets".

Vietnam

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given to Vietnam to (a) strengthen the Civil Service and (b) eliminate corruption.

Douglas Alexander: Public administration reform and corruption are key areas for UK assistance to Vietnam.
	The Department for International Development's (DFID) support to Vietnam is one of the fastest growing UK aid programmes in the world. DFID programme resources are projected to reach £55 million in 2005–06. This support includes helping the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight function. Recent results include the scrutiny of the draft Audit Law which has led to the State Audit department reporting to the National Assembly as opposed to the Government, and on-going revisions to the new law on anti-corruption. DFID is financing the Ministry of Planning and Investment's Inspectorate which has provided three pilot inspection reports to the Minister of Planning and Investment to review and take appropriate action. DFID also financed technical training in performance auditing for 30 people, and awareness training in planning and investment inspection for 140 officials.
	DFID is contributing to a multi-donor effort to improve public financial management. This support has helped design a budgetary yearbook which will be made available to the public, and financed the recent public expenditure review which will be endorsed by the Government and made public at the end of January 2005. DFID is also supporting the introduction of a Treasury and Budget Management Information System to comply with international best practice in budget execution and reporting.
	We took part in the Vietnam Consultative Group's (CG) main annual stock take on 1–2 December, together with representatives of the Government of Vietnam, donors, international agencies, international NGOs and the private sector. Corruption was one of the key challenges identified; and we welcome Vietnam's increasing openness in this respect.
	This was the first such dialogue with donors. We will continue to support Vietnam's efforts to combat corruption and to strengthen its civil service.

Vietnam

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on human rights violations in Vietnam.

Douglas Alexander: The Vietnamese Government are well aware of the importance we attach to human rights. We raise our concerns over the human rights situation in Vietnam at every possible opportunity.
	We have an increasingly open dialogue with the Vietnam Government on human rights issues. The EU-Vietnam Death Penalty Seminar that took place in Hanoi on 24–26 November 2004 is an example of increasing Vietnamese willingness to discuss human rights issues.
	The regular EU-Vietnam human rights dialogue meetings, the latest of which was in December, help improve mutual understanding and identify areas for co-operation; we hope this will lead to concrete progress.
	We will continue to press the Vietnamese Government to adhere to its international human rights obligations at every suitable opportunity.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

China (Cashmere Imports)

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she plans to take to increase the level of monitoring of the importation of cashmere knitted garments from China.

Douglas Alexander: Surveillance licensing of EU imports from China on a range of textiles and clothing products, including cashmere knitted garments, was introduced by the EU and implemented by the UK on 1 January 2005.

Postal Services

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the standard of postal services in inner London.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Improving the quality of postal services throughout the country is an operational matter for the Royal Mail Board. I have been assured by Allan Leighton that this is the Board's top priority and Adam Crazier, Chief Executive of Royal Mail, has taken personal responsibility for this improvement.

Energy Supply

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the UK's future energy generation capability.

Mike O'Brien: The Government's assessment, prepared jointly with Ofgem and National Grid Transco, is set out in reports of the Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group. The latest version was published in November 2004 and copies are in the House Library.
	The Secretary of State will also report to Parliament on security of energy supply this year as required under section 172 of the Energy Act 2004.

Employment during Pregnancy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research she has commissioned on pregnant women's experience of employment and employers' attitudes towards them during pregnancy.

Jacqui Smith: In 2001, DTI and DWP jointly commissioned a survey of new mothers and fathers to evaluate the provision, awareness, take-up, experiences and views of maternity and paternity rights and benefits in Britain. The mothers' survey explored how women who had worked as employees during pregnancy had been treated at work prior to taking maternity leave.
	The report—Hudson et al, (2004), Maternity and Paternity Rights in Britain 2002: Survey of Parents, DWP Research Report No 131—is available at http:www.dwp.gov.uk/asd and has been placed in the Library.
	The DTI is currently in the process of tendering for an interim survey of maternity and paternity rights, to be carried out in summer 2005. This survey will update the findings of the 2002 survey. Initial findings will be available in June 2005 and the final report in November 2005.

EU Structural Funds

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of European Union structural funds.

Douglas Alexander: The Government have already set out in great detail its position on the future of the Structural and Cohesion Funds. We put forward reform proposals in a consultation document of 2003 and confirmed the Government's approach in two written statements to Parliament on 17 September and 11 December 2003.
	In short, the Government is proposing that the funds should in future be focused on the poorest EU member states. If our proposals are accepted, we have guaranteed to increase domestic spending on regional policy in the UK.

Avient

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry with regard to the recent statement by the National Contact Point for the OECD Guidelines on Avient, how many (a) meetings, (b) telephone calls and (c) other types of communication took place between (i) the UK National Contact Point and (ii) other UK Government officials and Avient's representatives; on what dates each such communication took place; and whether Avient was allowed to comment on the statement before it was made public.

Douglas Alexander: Dialogue with the company is covered by the confidentiality provisions of the OECD Guidelines. Avient did see the statement in draft form before it was published and submitted some factual comments, a number of which were accepted.

Business Registrations (Coventry)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses have registered for VAT in Coventry, South in each year since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: The latest official figures based on VAT registrations show 690 businesses being registered for VAT in Coventry in 2003, which is a 16 per cent. increase on the year before. Data for 2004 will be available in autumn 2005.
	
		VAT registrations in each calendar year in Coventry
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 615 
			 1998 640 
			 1999 650 
			 2000 620 
			 2001 655 
			 2002 595 
			 2003 690 
		
	
	Note:
	Data are not available for constituencies such as Coventry, South.

Concorde

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the benefit of maintaining an airworthy example of Concorde for research and development purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Supersonic aircraft were not identified as a priority of the Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team.
	No assessment has been made.

Energy Billing

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions Ofgem has had with energy suppliers on the (a) accuracy, (b) comprehensibility and (c) timeliness of their billing procedures.

Mike O'Brien: These are matters for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). I understand that the Chairman of Ofgem will write to the hon. Member about the matters he has raised.

Energy Billing

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions her Department has had with Ofgem in relation to problems with energy bills.

Mike O'Brien: My Department has regular discussions with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) about a range of consumer issues, including billing. My officials are working with the industry, Ofgem and Energywatch on establishing industry- wide standards that address billing problems.

Energy Billing

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the percentage of (a) gas and (b) electricity bills sent out each year which are estimated bills.

Mike O'Brien: Neither. OFGEM nor Energywatch routinely collects this information. The rules governing meter-readings are the responsibility of OFGEM. Gas and electricity suppliers are obliged to ensure that customers' meters are physically read and inspected once every two years, although suppliers will seek to read meters more frequently. Customers may provide their own meter readings instead of accepting an estimated bill. The supplier must accept that reading or arrange to read the meter itself.

EU Constitution

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 15 December 2004, Official Report, column 1124W, on the EU constitution, whether such a legal basis exists within the European Communities treaties.

Douglas Alexander: Article III-122 of the proposed constitutional treaty would provide a legal basis for European laws defining the principles and conditions enabling services of general economic interest to fulfil their missions, without prejudice to the competence of member states, in compliance with the constitution, to provide, to commission and to fund such services. There is presently EC competence to legislate on services of general economic interest within the current European community treaty, for example, in Articles 71 and 80(2) (transport), 95 (internal market approximation measures) and 156 (trans-European networks). A measure under Article III-122 could deal with the principles and conditions referred to above across a range of services of general economic interest; to do this under the current European community treaty would require assembling sectoral legal bases or restricting the measure to approximation provisions. Any new law made under Article III-122 would be adopted on the basis of qualified majority voting and co-decision with the European Parliament. Article III-122 explicitly maintains the competence of member states in the key areas of providing, commissioning and funding services of general economic interest.

EU Constitution

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her Answer of 15 December 2004, Official Report, column 1124W, on the EU Constitution, what the definition is of services of general economic interest; and if she will make a statement on the effect of the provisions of the EU Constitutional Treaty on the competence of (a) member states and (b) the European Commission in respect of such services.

Douglas Alexander: There is neither a UK- nor EU- level legal definition of services of general economic interest (SGEIs), although the term services of general economic interest can be found in Articles 16 and 86 of the EC Treaty. However, the European Commission states in its White Paper on Services of General Interest (COM (2004) 374 final) that there is broad agreement that the term SGEIs refers to services of an economic nature which the member states or the Community subject to specific public service obligations by virtue of a general interest criterion. In ECJ case C-l79/90, the court said that SGEIs were services which exhibited a general economic interest with special characteristics compared with those offered by other economic activities.
	The EC Treaty presently gives the European Commission competence to bring forward proposals for EC legislation on SGEIs under sectoral legal bases, for example Articles 71 and 80(2) (transport) or 156 (trans-european networks), or under Article 95 (internal market approximation measures). Such proposals could define the principles and conditions enabling SGEIs to fulfil their missions. A Commission proposal for legislation on SGEIs would have to be compliant with the EC Treaty's provisions, such as internal market requirements, and could not infringe on member states' competence to provide, to commission and to fund these services.
	The Constitutional Treaty would give the Commission an additional legal basis under which the Commission could bring forward a proposal for legislation on SGEIs at a horizontal level. However, a commission proposal on SGEIs under this legal base would also have to be compliant with the EC Treaty's provision, such as internal market requirements, and Article III-122 explicitly maintains the competence of member states in the key areas of providing, commissioning and funding services of general economic interest.

EU Constitution

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what constraints apply to the requirement to promote scientific and technological advance as set out in Article 13(3) of the proposed EU Constitution.

Patricia Hewitt: The detailed provisions relating to this objective are contained in Articles III-248255 of the Treaty. These largely reflect the existing EC competence in this area, with the addition of an explicit reference to space policy. The Article's set out the European Union's aim to achieve a European Research Area, improve the EU's competitiveness in science and technology and ensure EU policies are properly supported by research. They also outline a list of activities to support these aims. As with the rest of the Treaty, any action in this area is also subject to the application of the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity. In addition, any action would be subject to the constraints of the EU budget.

Fast Patrol Vessel Defender

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether grant funding, other than the European Regional Development Fund grant to the Maritime Defence Museum (Lowestoft) Ltd. for restoration of the Fast Patrol Vessel Defender, was provided by (a) the Government and (b) the European Regional Development Fund for the acquisition, voyage, maintenance and use of the vessel.

Douglas Alexander: The only ERDF funding provided was the grant of 58,728 for the project to restore the vessel. There is no indication of Government funding having been provided to the Maritime Defence Museum (Lowestoft) Ltd.

Freedom of Information

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 142W, on the Freedom of Information Act, whether private companies are protected from being compelled under the Act to divulge commercial-in-confidence information provided to them by public bodies; and under what circumstances the non-absolute exemption at section 43 can be invoked.

Jacqui Smith: The Freedom of Information Act applies to public authorities only, as listed in Schedule 1, specified in section 6, or designated under section 5 of the Act. No Orders have yet been made under section 5. The Department of Constitutional Affairs will shortly hold a public consultation on the scope and use of section 5.
	Where a request is received for information which constitutes a trade, secret or the disclosure of which would prejudice, or be likely to. prejudice, the commercial interests of any person, and the balance of the public interest is in favour of maintaining the exemption, section 43 can be applied.
	I am placing a copy of the Government's guidance on applying this exemption in the Library of the House.

Inward Investors

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statutory obligations exist on inward investors to notify her Department of their intention to withdraw from the UK.

Nigel Griffiths: Companies, be they foreign or UK owned, have no statutory obligation to notify the Department of their plans to disinvest unless they have been the recipient of regional grant assistance.
	Such companies are required to maintain the investment for a period of time after the assistance has been paid. If the project were to close within that time, the conditions of the offer require the grant recipient to inform my Department.
	All offers of assistance contain provisions for withholding or recovery of grant if a firm withdraws from an investment.

Wave Power

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to promote wave power.

Mike O'Brien: On 2 August 2004 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a 50 million Marine Renewables Deployment Fund that will provide continued support to wave and tidal stream power technologies.
	This builds on the 15 million of support for Research and Development provided to the sector since 1999. My Department has also provided 1.2 million towards the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney.
	Additionally, the Carbon Trust has invested over 6 million in marine energy projects and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has a 2.6 million Supergen Marine Programme.

Wind Farms

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the development of offshore wind farms.

Mike O'Brien: The UK has some of the best wind resources in the world. It is important that these resources are properly utilised to ensure that the United Kingdom's targets for generating electricity from renewable energy sources can be met. The development of offshore wind farms can potentially provide a major contribution to those targets and the Government is committed to ensuring that the right framework is in place to enable projects to proceed where an assessment of their impacts indicates they are acceptable.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Publications

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many copies of the booklet What the Pre-Budget Report Means for Scotland have been produced; and at what cost.

Anne McGuire: H.M. Treasury produced 750 copies of the leaflet on What the Pre-Budget Report Means for Scotland at a cost of 264, or 35 pence each. The total cost for all the twelve regions and countries was 3,172.

Electronic Devices

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many electronic devices are owned by the Department, broken down by type.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office does not maintain a central record of all the electronic devices in use. The information requested therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by his Department in the last three years.

Anne McGuire: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 140W.

Newspapers/Periodicals

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the (a) newspapers and (b) periodicals taken by his Department in each year since 1997; and how much the Department spent on each in each year.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Detailed records of newspapers and periodicals ordered by the Office each year are not held centrally: some publications may be cancelled and others added to the list.
	The current list of publications to which the Office subscribes is as follows:
	Newspapers
	Aberdeen Press and Journal
	Daily Express
	Daily Mail
	Daily Mirror
	Daily Record
	Daily Star
	Daily Telegraph
	Dundee Courier
	Edinburgh Evening News
	Evening Standard
	Financial Times
	Guardian
	Herald
	Independent
	Independent on Sunday
	Mail on Sunday
	News of the World
	Observer
	Scotland on Sunday
	Scotsman
	Scottish Daily Mail
	Sun
	Sunday Express
	Sunday Herald
	Sunday Mail
	Sunday Mirror
	Sunday Observer
	Sunday Post
	Sunday Telegraph
	Sunday Times
	Times
	West Highland Free Press
	Periodicals
	New Statesman
	PR Week
	Press Gazette
	Private Eye
	Scottish Affairs
	Scottish Field
	Economist
	Spectator
	The Week
	Since July 1999, the cost of newspapers, and periodicals purchased centrally by the Office was as follows:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 19992000(41) 9,096 
			 200001 13,639 
			 200102 12,968 
			 200203 12,990 
			 200304 12,556 
		
	
	(41)part year

Special Advisers

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many special advisers there are in the Department, broken down by Civil Service pay grade.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 1640W.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the contracts signed by his special advisers differ from the Model Contract for Special Advisers.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 January 2005, Official Report, column 753W.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Equal Pay

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women what assessment she has made of progress towards equal pay for equal work for women.

Patricia Hewitt: The pay gap is at its lowest ever, 14.4 per cent. Its causes are complex; so we asked the Women and Work Commission to investigate.
	We promote voluntary pay reviews to progress equal pay for equal work. 45 per cent. of organisations have undertaken or are to undertake reviews, including all Government Departments; the largest employerthe NHS; and companies like Lloyds-TSB.

Women in Politics

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister for Women what steps she is taking to encourage women's representation in politics.

Patricia Hewitt: In 2002 we introduced the Sex Discrimination (Election Candidates) Act allowing positive measures towards women's increased participation. I am proud to say that the Labour Party is taking every opportunity to increase the number of women standing for election for our party.
	We now have 119 women MPs (94 of which are Labour). 29 per cent. of the Cabinet, 50 per cent. of AMs, and 40 per cent. of MSPs are women.

Maternity Allowance

David Rendel: To ask the Minister for Women what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding maternity allowance.

Jacqui Smith: I work closely with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
	The Government's 10 year strategy for child care set out our intention to extend maternity allowance as well as statutory maternity pay and statutory adoption pay to 39 weeks from April 2007 and our goal of 12 months' paid maternity leave by the end of the next Parliament. We will be publishing a further paper on these and other proposals set out in the child care strategy shortly.
	We will continue to work closely on this.

Equal Pay (Wirral, South)

Ben Chapman: To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on relative rates of pay for women and men in Wirral, South.

Jacqui Smith: The median hourly wage for female workers residing in my hon. Friend's constituency is 8.80, 11 per cent. above the national female hourly wage.
	The median hourly wage for male workers is 10.82, 2 per cent. above the national male hourly wage.
	The gender pay gap for Wirral, South is 18.1 per cent. which is above the national 14.4 per cent.

Pension Equality

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Minister for Women what steps she is taking to promote pension equality for women.

Patricia Hewitt: Two thirds of those benefiting from pension credit are women. For future pensioners, the state second pension extends second-tier pension rights for the first time to people with caring responsibilities and those on low earningsthe majority of whom are women.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Iraq

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Foreign Secretary about the protection of Iraqi heritage in (a) Babylon and (b) Baghdad.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 24 January 2005
	I have had a number of discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, concerning the protection of Babylon and of Iraq's archaeological heritage in general.

Iraq

Mark Fisher: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what reports she has received on damage done to historic sites in Iraq.

Tessa Jowell: I have studied the report written by John Curtis of the British Museum and have been in regular contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office concerning the protection of Iraq's archaeological heritage.

Millennium Dome

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much financial support was provided to the Millennium Dome by the National Lottery in each year from 199798.

Estelle Morris: Grants were made by the Millennium Commission to the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) as follows.
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199798 449 
			 199899 0 
			 19992000 60 
			 200001 119 
			 200102 0 
			 200203 0 
			 200304 0 
			 200405 (42) 
		
	
	(42)-24 million (unrequired funds decommitted from NMEC by Millennium Commission for use on other projects)

National Lottery

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the National Lottery board about their reasons for refusing grants to organisations engaged in (a) public safety and (b) search and rescue; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: I have had no such discussions. The distributing bodies for Lottery grants make their funding decisions independently of Government and consider each application on its own merits and against their published criteria. Rescue organisations are not precluded from receiving Lottery funding. 37 such organisations have received grants of nearly 1.8 million.

CABINET OFFICE

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the occasions between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004 when special advisers attended meetings with external representatives at which Ministers were not present.

David Miliband: As my predecessors' answer of Wednesday 15 December 2004, Official Report, column 1148W, made clear, special advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. The detailed information required is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Special Advisers

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the speeches his special advisers made in an official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004, broken down by date.

David Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my predecessor on Wednesday 15 December 2004, Official Report, column 1148W. Special advisers are aware of the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. For the period 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2004, no special advisers working in the Cabinet Office made speeches in their official capacity.

DEFENCE

BAE Systems

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts were entered into with BAE Systems at RAF Marham in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004.

Adam Ingram: No contracts were awarded to BAE Systems during 2003 and 2004 specifically for the support of the Tornado fleet at RAF Marham.

Citizenship Applications

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the Royal Navy sponsors applications from UK armed forces personnel from elsewhere in the Commonwealth who wish to apply for dual or full British citizenship.

Adam Ingram: As a result of an internal Royal Navy nationality survey, commenced in 2002, it was established that for some serving Commonwealth personnel there was a job-related requirement for dual or full British citizenship. In the interest of the service and of their careers, a small number of Commonwealth personnel opted to apply for either dual or full British citizenship. For a limited period only, and on a case by case basis, the Royal Navy is sponsoring these applications through an agreed fast track scheme with the Home Office.

Defence Munitions Site

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the housing sold at the Defence Munitions Dean site were sold to the existing occupants; and how many tenants did not choose to buy.

Ivor Caplin: Of the 35 Dean Hill houses, 18 were vacant with the remaining 17 being tenanted. Ten accepted the opportunity to buy and seven tenants chose not to.
	These properties will be transferred to Testway Housing Association subject to their existing tenancies, with a stipulation that the tenancies are protected and provide security of tenure.

Eurocorps

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the classification level is of reports from UK liaison officers to Eurocorps pertaining to the viability of UK co-operation with Eurocorps; and whether such reports will be accessible under Freedom of Information rules.

Geoff Hoon: The United Kingdom co-operates with Eurocorps as a NATO Graduated Readiness Force Headquarters which is offered to the Alliance by its sponsor nations (Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Spain). Headquarters Eurocorps is currently in Afghanistan, providing the headquarters for the International Stabilisation and Assistance Force. The United Kingdom had a liaison team, led by a Colonel, with HQ Eurocorps from 2000 until March 2004, when the post was withdrawn following a review of our commitments to NATO HQs. The reports from liaison officers before that date vary in classification. All recorded information held by MOD is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We would consider on a case by case basis any requests for such information to be disclosed under the Act.

Iraq

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the estimates of Iraqi casualties contained in contact reports compiled by UK armed forces serving in Iraq since 20 March 2003.

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will release civilian casualty estimates contained in British military contact reports from Iraq.

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish Iraq casualty estimates contained in British military contact reports filed since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Adam Ingram: Between 1 May 2003 and 26 November 2004, Significant Incident reports and Significant Action reports indicate that United Kingdom forces in Iraq encountered a number of Iraqi casualties. The figures drawn from those reports are not an accurate estimate of Iraqi casualties, either those caused by UK forces or those caused by insurgent activities, and should not be taken as such. They apply only to casualties which were witnessed or discovered by UK forces, and give no indication of casualties outside the UK's areas of operations in South East Iraq, although they also cover the Black Watch deployment to the North Babil area in November 2004. UK forces are not always present at all incidents which result in Iraqi civilian casualties, and following hostile contacts they are not always able to make an accurate count of Iraqi casualties, either because they have withdrawn from the area, or because such casualties have been removed.
	These reports indicate that 200 Iraqis believed to have been enemy combatants have died, and 80 have been injured, in incidents where military force was deliberately applied by UK forces. Five Iraqis believed not to have been enemy combatants have died, and a further 13 have been injured, in incidents during the course of which military force was deliberately applied by UK forces. These figures do not necessarily indicate that UK forces caused the casualties, but merely that they recorded them during the course of incidents in which deliberate military force was applied.
	Reports indicate that 17 Iraqis believed to have been enemy combatants have died, and 22 have been injured, during the course of other incidents, 144 Iraqis believed not to have been enemy combatants have died, and 192 have been injured, during the course of other incidents. This includes the full range of incidents in which UK forces have been involved, or to which UK forces have been called, but where no deliberate military force was applied. This includes improvised explosive device attacks by insurgent forces on civilian targets, road traffic accidents and in one case the discovery in May 2003 of a mass grave, thought to date back to 1991, containing 32 dead. Iraqi Security Force casualties are not included.
	These figures do not include the warfighting phase of Operation TELIC, prior to 1 May 2003, for which incident reports were not routinely submitted whenever casualties were discovered.

Iraq

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms the Government are using to assess their responsibility towards Iraqi civilians under the Geneva conventions in the absence of a reliable estimate of Iraqi casualties.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom takes seriously its responsibilities and obligations under Geneva Conventions which identify civilians as protected persons. The Ministry of Defence has not previously published estimates of civilian casualties because there are no reliable means of producing such estimates. There is no specific requirement under the Geneva Conventions to produce estimates of civilian casualties.
	We take great care to ensure that civilians are protected and that our obligations under the Geneva Conventions are met. All personnel serving in Iraq are fully briefed on the Law of Armed Conflict and appropriate measures are taken to avoid loss of civilian life or property. We always evaluate planned operations to ensure that they do not carry an unacceptable risk of causing unintended civilian casualties.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons statistics on the numbers of Armed Service Personnel injured in action in Iraq each month were not collected before August 2004.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 25 January 2005
	The Ministry of Defence statistics held centrally on personnel medically evacuated since the beginning of Operation Telic are not broken down into combat and non-combat injuries prior to August 2004. That information was only recorded by individual units, and it is not available in electronic format. The information that was collected centrally was clinical information, in the form of a database of all those medically evacuated, which does not provide a breakdown by cause.

Iraq

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many formed units of UK forces are deployed outside the boundaries of the multi-national division (SE) in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 24 January 2005
	There are no formed units of the United Kingdom forces deployed in Iraq outside the boundaries of the multinational division (south east).

Wounded British Soldiers

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops have been (a) killed and (b) wounded in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq in the last 12 months.

Ivor Caplin: holding answer 21 January 2005
	Over the last 12 months, in Afghanistan one British soldier has been killed and 35 have been medically evacuated from theatre for health reasons (including injuries resulting from hostile action as well as from accidents, other incidents and illnesses).
	In Iraq, over the last 12 months, the equivalent figures are 20 killed and 794 medically evacuated.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Freedom of Information

John Mann: To ask the Advocate-General what categories of information are available under Freedom of Information legislation that have not been provided in written parliamentary answers by her Department in the last three years.

Lynda Clark: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Constitutional Affairs, on 24 January 2005, Official Report, column 140W.

HEALTH

Adverse Drug Reactions

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to make it mandatory that doctors and nurses (a) ask their patients about suspected adverse drug reactions and (b) report suspected adverse drug reactions to the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the Committee on Safety of Medicines.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The yellow card scheme is the United Kingdom system for collecting and monitoring information on suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and currently relies on voluntary reporting of suspected ADRs by health care professionals. The independent review of the yellow card scheme, published in May 2004 considered whether reporting of suspected ADRs by health care professionals should be made mandatory.
	There is no evidence from countries where reporting of suspected adverse reactions is mandatory that rates of reporting are higher. The independent review made no recommendation about mandatory reporting, but recommended that steps should be taken to strengthen the scheme and to raise awareness among health professionals and the public. Proposals are being developed to take this forward.
	Patients may now report suspected adverse drug reactions directly to the committee on safety of medicines and/or the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, the Lord Warner, announced on 17 January 2005 that two pilots (paper based and electronic reporting via www.yellowcard.gov.uk) to enable direct patient reporting have been launched.
	It is good clinical practice that health care professionals discuss with patients the benefits and risks of medicines including the possibility of side effects. Patient information leaflets which accompany medicines encourage patients to discuss with their health care professional any side effects they have experienced while taking their medication.

Ambulance Response Times

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response time was for ambulances in the East Kent Hospitals Trust area summoned to transfer patients to acute sites for (a) paediatric and (b) obstetric patients in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many obstetric patients in the area gave birth en route to an acute site in each quarter of (i) 2003 and (ii) 2004.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Ambulance Response Times

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response times of ambulance crews in (a) Romford, (b) the London borough of Havering, (c) Greater London, (d) Essex and (e) England were in each of the last seven years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally in the format requested. Data on response times for Essex and London Ambulance Services and for all ambulance services in England is shown in the table.
	Data is only available from the date trusts introduced call prioritisation. Essex Ambulance Service introduced call prioritisation in 199798 and London Ambulance Service in 200001. All ambulance services in England had introduced call prioritisation by 200102.
	Further information can be found in the statistical bulletin, Ambulance services, England: 200304. A copy is available in the Library and at www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0411.htm
	
		
			  Essex London England 
		
		
			 Percentage of Category A calls responded within eight minutes 
			 199798 62.0 n/a n/a 
			 199899 61.8 n/a n/a 
			 19992000 61.8 n/a n/a 
			 200001 72.4 41.8 n/a 
			 200102 78.1 57.2 70.8 
			 200203 67.3 69.1 74.6 
			 200304 75.7 76.0 75.7 
			 
			 Percentage of Category A calls responded within 1419 minutes 
			 199798 98.1 n/a n/a 
			 199899 97.7 n/a n/a 
			 19992000 97.0 n/a n/a 
			 200001 97.8 83.3 n/a 
			 200102 98.3 85.7 94.1 
			 200203 96.8 88.6 94.6 
			 200304 98.0 89.6 93.9 
			 
			 Percentage of category B/C calls responded within 1419 minutes 
			 199798 97.1 n/a n/a 
			 199899 96.8 n/a n/a 
			 19992000 95.3 n/a n/a 
			 200001 95.6 79.7 n/a 
			 200102 95.7 78.5 90.2 
			 200203 91.9 79.2 89.6 
			 200304 89.4 77.9 87.5 
			 
			 Percentage of urgent journeys with arrival time not more than 15 minutes late 
			 199798 96.8 79.3 88.0 
			 199899 95.2 69.4 84.0 
			 19992000 95.8 61.0 80.5 
			 200001 95.4 50.1 78.8 
			 200102 93.8 48.4 78.5 
			 200203 83.5 46.7 78.0 
			 200304 92.6 50.0 78.1 
		
	
	n/anot available

Anti-psychotic Drugs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescription items were dispensed in the community in England for (a) atypical, (b) traditional and (c) all anti-psychotic drugs in each (i) health authority and (ii) primary care trust in each year since 1999, broken down by age; and what the percentage change was (A) from year to year and (B) from 1999 to the last year for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the requested format.
	Information on the number of prescription items for atypical, traditional and all anti-psychotic drugs dispensed in the community in each strategic health authority and primary care trust in England since 2001 has been placed in the Library. Data is not available for 1999 and 2000. The information has been broken down by age groups where possible and the year-on-year percentage changes recorded.
	The information does not include prescriptions dispensed in hospitals or mental health trusts. Given that a large proportion of anti-psychotic medication is dispensed in hospitals and mental health trusts, this data should not be used to compare primary care trusts' prescribing practices.

Brazilian Beef

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received on concerns about the effects on health of imported beef from Brazil.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 24 January 2005
	No representations have been received by the Department or the Food Standards Agency about the human health implications of imported beef from Brazil.

Cancelled Operations

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients at (a) West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust and (b) Addenbrookes hospital had their operations cancelled at the last minute in each of the last four years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of cancelled operations for West Suffolk Hospitals National Health Service Trust and for Addenbrookes Hospital NHS Trust, now known as Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, are shown in the table.
	Prior to 200102, the data was collected by health authority and is therefore not comparable.
	
		Number of last minute cancellations of operations by trust
		
			 Trust 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 624 645 769 
			 West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust 362 184 425

Cancer Treatment (Children)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) tumour and (b) leukaemia cases in children were treated in the NHS in each of the last eight years.

Stephen Ladyman: Information on the number of finished in-year admission episodes for children (017) is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Finished in-year admission episodes(43) 
			  Leukaemia Tumour 
		
		
			 199697 18,122 52,716 
			 199798 19,717 54,919 
			 199899 22,228 57,960 
			 19992000 21,726 57,740 
			 200001 22,033 57,645 
			 200102 21,961 58,169 
			 200203 21,558 59,428 
			 200304 20,707 58,930 
		
	
	(43) Finished in-year admissions:
	A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the datayear. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health

Care Standards

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether an individual applying for approval under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 is required to undergo separate Criminal Records Bureau checks in respect of applications to different offices of the Care Standards Commission.

Stephen Ladyman: Where people who have already obtained a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure move to a new position which involves contact with adult service users, they are required to obtain another CRB check. Similar provisions apply in relation to working with children. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) office which deals with relevant applications depends on the location of the service where the individual will work.
	When an existing registered provider wants to open a similar service in another part of England, they will need to register this with the CSCI. This means that they will be subject to the registration regulations and as part of these requirements would require a new CRB check.
	The way in which CRB applications are dealt with by the CSCI should be consistent across England.

Carers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the saving to public funds made as a result of the work of private carers.

Stephen Ladyman: This Government recognise the valuable and vital role played by the estimated 6,000,000 carers in the United Kingdom. The Government have made no estimate of the savings to public funds resulting from the activities of people who provide care on a voluntary basis.

Criminal Record Bureau Checks

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what system is in place for the transfer of Criminal Record Bureau checks on NHS employees between NHS organisations.

John Hutton: Guidance is in place for the transfer of employee Criminal Record Bureau checks between national health service organisations. Detailed implementation issues are the responsibility of the NHS Employers Organisation, from which further information can be sought. Details of the organisation and its responsibilities are available from its website at www.nhsemployer.uk.

Dentistry

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department expects to publish its review of patient dental charges.

Rosie Winterton: We are considering the report from Harry Cayton's Working Group and hope to publish it later this year as part of a consultation on the new charging system.

Dentistry

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his reply of 9 December 2004, Official Report, column 752W, on dentistry, if he will make a statement on the reasons evinced by the British Dental Association for not attending the meetings of 8 and 12 December 2004; and what follow-up action the Department plans to take.

Rosie Winterton: The British Dental Association (BDA) has stressed the need to ensure that dental practices and primary care trusts (PCTs) have sufficient time to prepare for implementation of the new contractual arrangements. They have welcomed our decision that full implementation of the reforms will now take place to a longer time scale, with the new arrangements to be introduced no later than April 2006. Our new timetable will allow more dentists to move to new ways of working through the personal dental services scheme, enable public consultation on key aspects of the new contract and allow more time for PCTs to prepare for their new roles. If the BDA wishes, we would be happy to resume discussions with it within this new time scale.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 1311W, on dentistry, how many dentists were on the register at 24 November 2004 including those who were not accepting any new patients for registration or occasional treatment.

Ms Winterton: On 24 November 2004, there were 19,840 dentists in the general and personal dental service. This is the number of dentists recorded by the Dental Practice Board as principal dentists in the general dental service on primary care trusts lists and their assistants and personal dental service dentists.
	My reply to the hon. Member of 16 December referred to dental practices rather than individual dentists. The source was nhs.uk.

Departmental Costs

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the total costs to his Department of consultancy and professional services in each year since 1997.

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost to his Department was for the use of external consultants in each of the last two years.

Rosie Winterton: Expenditure by the Department on external consultancy and professional services in each year since 1997 is shown in the following table.
	
		 million
		
			 Financial year Expenditure 
		
		
			 199697 14.699 
			 199798 12.694 
			 199899 7.332 
			 19992000 8.132 
			 200001 6.531 
			 200102 6.800 
			 200203 7.266 
			 200304 10.031

Departmental Policy (Portsmouth, North)

Syd Rapson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Portsmouth, North constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on Portsmouth, North constituency.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Portsmouth, North constituency.
	For example:
	At the end of November 2004, the number of people waiting more than nine months for inpatient treatment within Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust (PCT) has fallen to zero from 445 in June 2002.
	At the end of September 2004, the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for out-patient treatment within Portsmouth City PCT has fallen to 61 from 1,320 in June 2002.
	In 2003, at the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, 86.2 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. Figures for September 2004 show an improvement to 96.8 per cent.
	Between September 1997 and June 2004, the number of consultants at the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust has increased from 140 to 261. The number of nurses increased from 1,517 in September 1997 to 2,116 in September 2003.
	Figures for December 2004 show that 100 per cent. of patients within Portsmouth City PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a primary care professional within two working days.
	In the Portsmouth unitary authority area, death rates from cancer per 100,000 population have fallen from 221.22 in 1997 to 188.43 in 2002.
	In the Portsmouth unitary authority area, death rates from coronary heart disease per 100,000 population have fallen from 164.84 in 1997 to 124.89 in 2002.
	Portsmouth City PCT allocation has risen to 179.8 million for 200405, a cash increase of 9.5 per cent.

Depression

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated for depression in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the requested format.
	The Department provides hospital episode statistics (HES) data which relates to diagnostic information for in-patients in national health service hospitals. During their course of treatment over a period of time, patients may have a number of episodes of care which are counted each time they have a stay in hospital. Information relating to diagnosis where a patient is still under the care of a hospital consultant is not recorded.
	Information on the number of finished consultant episodes for patients with a primary diagnosis of depression or recurrent depression in each of the last five years in NHS hospitals in England is shown in the table.
	The data excludes people treated on an outpatient basis and patients who have received treatment solely in primary care.
	
		Finished consultant episodes (FCEs) for patients with a primary diagnosis of depression (F32), or recurrent depression (F33)broken down by age in NHS hospitals in England
		
			  19992000 200001 200102 200203(44) 200304(44) 
		
		
			 Children (0 to 15) 260 210 240 250 280 
			 Adolescents (16 to 18) 560 520 510 510 510 
			 Adult 44,550 42,530 41,230 33,570 31,860 
			 Not known 30 90 80 50 10 
			 Total 45,400 43,360 42,060 34,380 32,650 
		
	
	(44)Figures are grossed for both coverage and missing/invalid clinical data, except for 200203 and 200304, which have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data.
	Notes:
	1.Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	2.A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.
	3.The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 200203) diagnosis fields in the HES dataset and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.

Diamorphine

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners are licensed to prescribe diamorphine; and how many there were in 1997.

Rosie Winterton: All general practitioners can prescribe diamorphine for pain relief. The number of registered general practitioners in 1997 was 29,389, compared to the latest available figure, for June 2004, which was 33,626. However, only doctors who hold a special licence issued by the Home Secretary may prescribe diamorphine for the treatment of drug addiction. As such prescribing is recognised as a highly specialised area of practice. Only a very small number of general practitioners, who work in the specialist area of drug dependency, hold such a licence.

Digital Hearing Aids

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the overall costs of (a) supplying and (b) fitting digital hearing aids by (i) the NHS and (ii) independent providers.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Mr.Pike) today.

Digital Hearing Aids

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many digital hearing aids have been commissioned to be supplied and fitted by independent providers for NHS patients in the last year for which figures are available; and what the cost was.

Stephen Ladyman: The modernising hearing aid services (MHAS) programme estimates that, by March 2006, approximately 74,000 digital hearing aids will have been supplied and fitted by independent providers for national health service patients since 2003.
	The costs of the service are commercially confidential, but are available from the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency for any NHS trust which wishes to take advantage of this initiative.

Digital Hearing Aids

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which areas of England are not yet covered by the Digital Hearing Aid Roll Out programme; when the programme will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: All areas will be covered by the end of March 2005. From April 2005, the 164 national health service audiology departments providing hearing aid services across England will be fitting digital hearing aids.

Digital Hearing Aids

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of supplying and fitting digital hearing aids in (a) the NHS and (b) the private sector; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department collects unit cost and activity data from all National Health Service providers in England each financial year.
	This information is available in the document, in Payment by Results, Core Tools, 2004, a copy of which is available in the Library.
	Data from financial year 200203, the most current available, shows that:
	A total of 57,687 digital hearing aids were provided by NHS and primary care trusts at an average unit cost of 140 per aid.
	Total expenditure for this level of activity therefore equates to approximately 8.1 million.
	No NHS organisation reported data for sub-contracting or directly commissioning this activity from non-NHS providers.

Dudley, North

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the constituency, the effects of his Department's policy since 1997 on the Dudley, North constituency.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government have put in place a programme of National health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Dudley constituency.
	For example:
	At the end of June 2004, the number of people waiting more than nine months for inpatient treatment within the Dudley Beacon and Castle Primary Care Trust (PCT) has fallen to zero.
	At the end of June 2004, the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for Out-patient treatment within Dudley Beacon and Castle has fallen to zero.
	In September 2002, at the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, 85.5 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. Figures for September 2004 show an improvement to 96.1 per cent.
	Between September 1997 and June 2004, the number of consultants at the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust has increased from 84 to 105. Between September 1997 and September 2003, the number of nurses has increased from 1,087 to 1,112.
	Between September 2001 and June 2004, the number of general medical practitioners within Dudley Beacon and Castle PCT has increased from 59 to 60.
	Figures for December 2004 show that all patients within Dudley Beacon and Castle PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a general practitioner within two working days and a primary care professional within one working day.
	Russell's Hall Hospital, part of the Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, is a new 160 million private finance initiative-funded hospital due to be opened later this year.

Elderly People

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged over (a) 90 and (b) 95 years are living in (i) residential and (ii) nursing homes.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 25 January 2005
	This information is not collected routinely. However, from the 2001 Census there were about 50,200 people aged 90 and over who were reported to be living in a residential home in England and 30,500 people reported living in a nursing home, including psychiatric homes.
	Data is not available for the age group 95 and over.

Food Consumption

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average per capita consumption of (a) meat, (b) fish, (c) fruit, (d) vegetables and (e) confectionery has been in each year since 1990.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested on the average per capita consumption of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and confectionery each year since 1990 is shown in the table. The data for 1990 to 2000 have been taken from the national food survey (NFS). The data for 200102 to 200203 have been taken from the expenditure and food survey (EFS), which replaced the NFS on 1 April 2001. These consumption data are based on household food purchases only and excludes foods eaten away from home.
	
		United Kingdom household consumption(45)of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and confectionery each year since 1990(46)
		
			  Average consumption, grams per person per week 
			 Food group 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 
		
		
			 Meat(47) 999 995 983 994 982 986 990 
			 Fish(48) 147 141 144 148 148 147 158 
			 Fruit(49) 718 728 733 726 752 778 786 
			 Vegetables (excluding potatoes)(50) 1,202 1,197 1,196 1,172 1,157 1,144 1,181 
			 Potatoes(51) 1,154 1,118 1,095 1,084 1,031 1,021 1,042 
			 Confectionery(52) n/a n/a 121 124 120 125 138 
		
	
	
		
			  Average consumption, grams per person per week 
			 Food group 1997 1998 1999 2000 200102 200203 
		
		
			 Meat(47) 983 985 961 1014 1,032 1,039 
			 Fish(48) 149 148 146 144 157 154 
			 Fruit(49) 813 806 800 839 809 852 
			 Vegetables (excluding potatoes)(50) 1,186 1,152 1,160 1,141 1,080 1,088 
			 Potatoes(51) 976 948 907 937 848 809 
			 Confectionery(52) 134 131 126 151 128 127 
		
	
	n/a = data not available
	(45)Consumption data based on household food purchases onlyexclude food eaten out.
	(46)Source of data: 1990 to 2000: NFS. 200102 to 200203: EPS. Data from the NFS have been adjusted to enable broad comparisons to be made with data from the EFS. However a break in the series in 200102 remains. This must be borne in mind when interpreting reported changes between the year 2000 (source: NFS) and the year 200102 (source: EFS).
	(47)Includes all meat/poultry and meat/poultry products.
	(48)Includes all fish and fish products.
	(49)Includes fresh, canned, dried and frozen fruit. Excludes fruit juice.
	(50)Includes fresh, canned, dried and frozen vegetables, pulses, vegetable based products/ready meals. Excludes vegetable juices/purees.
	(51)Includes fresh potatoes and potato products (excluding crisps/savoury snacks).
	(52)Data on confectionery not collected pre-1992. NB: Excludes confectionery eaten outside the home.

GP Contract

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for (a) negotiating and (b) concluding the general practitioner contract, including the time when a draft contract was made available to the general practitioner representatives.

John Hutton: Negotiations on a new general medical services (GMS) contract began in October 2001 and concluded in February 2003 with the agreement of the profession to proceed with implementation. Phased implementation began from April 2003 and the standard GMS contract, that was to be entered into by primary care trusts and GMS providers from 1 April 2004, was first shared with lawyers of general practitioner representatives in October 2003.

GPs and Dentists

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) NHS dentists and (b) general practitioners were practising in the West Suffolk parliamentary constituency at 31 December (i) 2004 and (ii) 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The data for national health service dentists and general practitioners practicing in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire strategic health authority area and within Suffolk West primary care trust (PCT) area are shown in the two tables.
	The data shown is for the number of GPs as at 30 June 2004, which is the latest data available, the December census has not yet been published. The data for GPs within the Suffolk West PCT area is from 2001 as this is the earliest data available.
	
		Number (headcount)
		
			 Quarter 1 1997 2001 2004 
		
		
			 General medical practitioners (excluding retainers, registrars and locums)(53)
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 1,263 1,302 1,477 
			 Suffolk West PCT n/a 124 159 
			 General Dental Practitioners(54)
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 754 901 1,025 
			 Suffolk West PCT 75 98 110 
		
	
	(53)All practitioners (excluding registrars, retainers and locums) include general medical services unrestricted principals, personal medical services (PMS) contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS others, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
	GP data as at 1 October 1997, 30 September 2001 and 30 June 2004.
	(54)The figures are based on the numbers of dentists with open general dental services (CDS) and personal dental services contracts. The dentists include principals, assistants and trainees. Prison contracts have not been included in this analysis. The areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the PCT. The figures provide a snapshot of the number of individual dentists with an open contract at 31 December. A dentist with a GDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses. The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists. The figures provide an accurate figure taking into account any notifications received up to 22 January 2005. The Dental data as at 31 December each year.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	Dental Practice Board

Infection Control Training

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will establish infection control training as a mandatory core competency in undergraduate training for (a) nurses and (b) doctors.

John Hutton: Curriculum content for undergraduate education and training for health care professionals is determined by higher education institutions (HEIs) in the light of recommendations of the relevant regulatory bodies. However, we share a commitment with those regulatory bodies that all health professionals are trained so that they have the skills and knowledge to deliver a high quality health service to all groups of the population with whom they deal, including infection control. HEIs are autonomous bodies and Ministers are precluded by legislation from intervening in their internal affairs, including curriculum content.

Healthcare Commission

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason delays have occurred in appointing case managers to review health service complaints referred to the Healthcare Commission; how many such cases are outstanding; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 29 November 2004
	The Healthcare Commission took on its role in handling the independent review stage of the national health service complaints process at the end of July 2004. I understand from the chairman of the commission that since then it has received significantly more requests for independent review than planned for. The commission is therefore increasing its capacity to deal with the increased level of referrals. I understand that there are currently some 2,600 cases outstanding.

Hepatitis C

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding primary care trusts plan to devote to prison populations for the treatment of hepatitis C.

Melanie Johnson: This information is not held centrally.

Hospital Infections

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recommendations (a) his Department and (b) the National Patient Safety Agency has made to the NHS on hand infection control against the spread of norovirus.

Melanie Johnson: Maintaining a high standard of hand hygiene is one of the key points in the guidelines produced on the Management of hospital outbreaks of gastroenteritis by the Public Health Laboratory Service, which is now part of the Health Protection Agency. These guidelines were published in the Journal of Hospital Infection in 2000. In February 2003, following high levels of norovirus activity, the Department reminded medical directors of national health service trusts about the guidelines.
	The cleanyourhands campaign, developed by the National Patient Safety Agency, will help improve hand hygiene and hence will contribute to reducing the spread of gastroenteritis infections.

IT (Disciplinary Procedures)

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department have (a) received official warnings and (b) faced disciplinary procedures following breaches of IT policy in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The following table provides information held by the Department's security unit from 19982004, which sets out the number of cases where disciplinary action was taken due to computer misuse within the whole of the Department. Information on official warnings is not available.
	
		
			  Disciplinary action 
		
		
			 1998 22 
			 1999 22 
			 2000 26 
			 2001 4 
			 2002 11 
			 2003 9 
			 2004 23 
			 Total 117 
		
	
	The Department takes very seriously any misuse of its information technology (IT) systems. All staff are regularly reminded of the Department's misuse of IT with detailed guidance contained in the document Acceptable Use of Information Technology available on the Department's intranet.

Maternity Care

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many midwife-led maternity units have closed since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many maternity units have (a) opened and (b) closed since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: Decisions about patterns of service delivery are a matter for individual health authorities and trusts to determine locally, taking into account local population needs, priorities and resources. We do not therefore collect information on this centrally.
	However, the Government, in the maternity standard of the national service framework (NSF) for children, young people and maternity, published in September 2004, has set out its 10-year vision for maternity services. The standard advocates that national health service maternity care providers and primary care trusts, which will be at the centre of service delivery, should plan and provide maternity services based upon an up-to-date assessment of the needs of the local population and by involving service user groups.

Maternity Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered midwives there were in each year since 1996 by (a) headcount and (b) whole-time equivalent.

John Hutton: The Nursing and Midwifery Council holds information on the number of registered midwives. This information can be found at www.nmc-uk.org.

Mental Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of winding up the Mind Out for Mental Health campaign; and what plans he has for establishing a follow-up campaign.

Rosie Winterton: No costs were incurred were in winding up the Mind Out for Mental Health campaign.
	The National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) launched a new five-year initiative on 11 October 2004 called Shift designed to tackle the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health issues. This new initiative is building on the work carried out under the Mind Out for Mental Health banner. In addition, NIMHE has commissioned a scoping review of what works in anti stigma and discrimination and is moving forward on the basis of a five-year strategic plan launched last June called From Here To Equality.

MRSA

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2005, Official Report, column 105W, on MRSA, how many of the babies who contracted MRSA in 2002 died from their infections.

Melanie Johnson: The voluntary reporting scheme, used by the Health Protection Agency to provide the data previously given, is based on aggregated data and cannot be used to investigate the outcome.

MRSA

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress towards developing a vaccine against methicillin resistant staphyloccus aureus; and what steps his Department is taking to support this work.

Melanie Johnson: Reducing the risk of Staphylococcus aureus infection in those undergoing surgery would be of great benefit and an important step in preventing methicillin resistant Staphyloccus aureus infections. The Department is currently part-funding work through the national vaccine evaluation consortium on the use of a vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus prior to elective surgery.

NHS Bank

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) the NHS bank has lent to each NHS organisation and (b) has been repaid in each year since the bank's inception.

John Hutton: The NHS bank provides special assistance to support the most financially challenged strategic health authorities (SHAs). The amounts are shown in the table.
	The amount allocated in 200203 is not repayable. The allocations in 200304 and 200405 are repayable, subject to abatements, as either capital or revenue beginning 200607. However, Kent and Medway SHA plans to make a repayment of 7.7 million from its capital allocations in this financial year.
	
		Distribution of special assistance funding200203 to 200405 --  million
		
			 SHA 200203 200304 200405 
		
		
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 25 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 0 25 10 
			 Kent and Medway 0 17 0 
			 Surrey and Sussex 30 40 20 
			 Avon, Gloucester and Wiltshire 45 70 40 
			 Total 100 152 70

NHS Bank

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget of the NHS bank is for (a) 200405 and (b) 200506; what loans were made by the bank in 200405; and what loans are expected to be made in 200506.

John Hutton: holding answer 24 January 2005
	The overall budget managed by the NHS bank on behalf of the Department in 200405 is 732 million. The budget for 200506 has not yet been agreed. The special assistance allocations in 200405 are shown in the table. The only special assistance allocation planned for 200506 is 20 million for Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority.
	
		Distribution of special assistance funding 200405
		
			   million 
			 Strategic health authority 200405 
		
		
			 Thames Valley 10 
			 Surrey and Sussex 20 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 40 
			 Total 70

Health Services (Nottingham, North)

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes have been made available in local health services in Nottingham North constituency since June 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The following changes have been made available in local health services in Nottingham North constituency since June 1997.
	Trent Strategic Health Authority (SHA)Trent Access and Choice Pilot (TRAC):
	Trent SHA is a pilot site for introducing choice ahead of national time scales.
	TRAC is working with three general practitioner practices, including one in Nottingham. From July 2003, the pilots have been offering a choice to patients on the waiting list for cataract operations. Initially this is a choice of national health service trusts and agreements are being reached with local trusts to provide extra clinics on a trial basis for TRAC.
	The cost of TRAC is as follows: 10.8 million in 200404 and 1.8 million in 200405. This covers all 19 primary care trusts (PCTs) in the Trent SHA area. Nottingham PCTs received 1,890,234 in 200304 and 541,000 in 200405.
	Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust:
	Ear, nose and throat/ophthalmology unit opened in 2001 (18.5 million).
	Accident and emergency department expanded and modernised in 2003 (6.3 million).
	Maternity unit modernised and refurbished in 2003 (1.45 million).
	Patient advice and liaison service (PALS) set up in 2003 (100,000).
	PALS staffing (74,500).
	Simulation and clinical skills centre opened in 2004 (2.48 million).
	New acute medicine unit opened in December 2004, offering more efficient patient care in improved surroundings. (1 million).
	New magnetic resonance imaging scanner operational in 2004 (1 million).
	Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust:
	Extension of cardiac surgery unitextension of existing services in 1997 (250,000).
	New high dependency unitnew serviceopened 2000 (980,00).
	Re-provision of the endoscopy unitto existing serviceopened in 2001 (3.1 million).
	New orthopaedic pre-operative assessment suitenew serviceopened in 2002 (500,000).
	Re-provision of the breast unit, which opened in 2003 (5.2 million).
	Modernise and refurbishment of hospital laundryopened in 2002 (1 million).
	Two cardiac catheter labsone temporaryopened in 2002 and 2003 at a combined cost of 1.5 million.
	Extension to the dialysis unit opened 2003 (900,000).
	Upgrade and expansion of the hospital kitchen opened in 2003 (just under 1 million).
	New clinical haematology wards opened in 2003 (1.8 million). New clinical haematology unit to replace and combine existing adult services located across two hospitals. Due to open January 2006 (9.2 million).
	Three linear accelerator machines (850,000 each). Two were funded by the new opportunities fund money and the third by central funds. Two machines were replacements for existing facilities and one was an additional machine.
	New coronary heart disease unit to replace existing facilities due to open July 2005 (20.8 million).
	New urology unit to replace existing facilities due to open July 2005 (8.2 million).
	Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust:
	Demolition of Strelley Ward due to start at the beginning of February, and new build over the next few years will see the provision of new mental health services. This is a 20 million project due for completion in early 2009.
	Broxtowe and Hucknall PCT:
	Choice at the point of referral has been offered to patients for ophthalmology and orthopaedics since autumn 2004. Choice will be rolled out to other specialities over the course of 2005 in line with national targets.
	In the autumn of 2004, a new community based echo service was launched (joint effort by four Greater Nottingham PCTsBroxtowe and Hucknall PCT, Gedling PCT, Nottingham City PCT and Rushcliffe PCT).
	June 2004, a pilot service began for patients who presented at hospital with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseadmissions are being prevented as early nurse assessments are leading to discharge and receipt of a community based pulmonary rehabilitation service.
	Walk in Centre:
	Nottingham walk-in centre opened in June 2000. (1.2 million annual budgetincludes all staffing, service provision costs, and patient care).
	Dental Access Centre (DAC):
	A DAC was opened in Nottingham City PCT in 2001. (This cost comes under the walk-in centre figure above).
	Personal dental services (PDS) field sites:
	Two PDSs also opened in Nottingham in January 2004, at Broxtowe and Hucknall and Rushcliffe (142,000). This cost includes a total of six pilot sites in Rushcliffe (3,000 of modernisation agency funding for information technology).
	Independent Sector Treatment Centre:
	Based at Barlborough (junction 30 of the M1). An interim service is being provided from Bassetlaw and Ilkeston Hospital, which commenced in April 2004. The full service from the new facility is due to commence in May 2005. (90 million over a five year contract period).
	Pharmacy Information:
	Since 199798, five pharmacies have opened in the Nottingham area (local information at this level is not available centrally).

Nurses (Neonatal Intensive Care)

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many experienced nurses there were in the neonatal intensive care units in East Kent Hospitals Trust (a) on the latest date for which figures are available and (b) 12 months prior to that date.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is for local hospitals and health economies to decide how to deploy staff in ways that will best meet the needs of the population.

Nut Allergy

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what advice is given to primary care trusts on dealing with prevention and treatment of nut allergy;
	(2)  whether his Department is financing research into nut allergy.

Stephen Ladyman: The Medical Research Council is not currently funding any research specifically on nut allergy, although they are undertaking some more general research on allergy, which may be of some relevance.
	Determining and meeting local health care needs is the responsibility of primary care trusts. However, we are committed to ensuring the national health service develops allergy services that offer high quality and personalised care to patients and will be drawing to their attention the Health Select Committee's report on the provision of allergy services and the Government's response.

Paediatric Nursing Staff (East Kent)

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of trained paediatric nursing staff to patients is in hospitals in the East Kent Hospitals Trust (a) during the day and (b) during the night.

Rosie Winterton: The Department collects information on the number of qualified paediatric nurses by individual trusts. The latest figures available for the number of qualified paediatric nurses at the East Kent Hospitals National Health Service Trust is shown in the table. It is not possible to determine the ratio of trained paediatric nursing staff to patients as the Department does not collect statistics on the number of patients seen.
	
		NHS hospital and community health services: qualified paediatric nurses in the East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust as at 30 September 2003
		
			   Headcount 
		
		
			 RVV East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust 121 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

Patient Litigation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on behalf of how many patients legal action has been taken against (a) individuals and (b) institutions under the remit of his Department in (i) Romford, (ii) the London borough of Havering, (iii) Greater London, (iv) Essex and (v) England in each of the last seven years;
	(2)  how many patients have suffered from medical negligence by NHS staff in (a) Romford, (b) the London borough of Havering, (c) Greater London, (d) Essex and (e) England in each of the last seven years.

Rosie Winterton: The National Health Service Litigation Authority (NHSLA) records the number of clinical negligence claims made against NHS institutions and bodies, which are vicariously liable for the negligent acts and omissions of their employees.
	Table 1 shows the number of clinical negligence claims made in each year, from 199798 to 200304, in Romford, Havering, London, Essex and England.
	Table 2 shows the number of clinical negligence claims in which damages were awarded for the same years and areas.
	
		Table 1: Number of claims
		
			  Notification year 
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 Total 
		
		
			 Romford 39 26 34 41 28 38 38 244 
			 Havering 39 26 34 41 31 38 40 249 
			 London 518 661 777 755 834 811 727 5,083 
			 Essex 114 122 115 146 145 149 150 941 
			 England 4,116 5,043 5,410 5,903 6,249 5,834 4,946 37,501 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Claims where damages were awarded
		
			  Notification year 
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 Total 
		
		
			 Romford 16 16 22 16 14 15 2 102 
			 Havering 16 16 22 16 14 15 2 102 
			 London 259 329 363 353 352 261 150 2,067 
			 Essex 53 57 59 74 66 54 43 406 
			 England 1,852 2,130 2,329 2,394 2,380 1,666 922 13,673 
		
	
	Notes:
	1.Information is not held on claims made against individuals outside of the NHSLA arrangements. For example, where individuals, such as general practitioners, are covered by private indemnity arrangements.
	2.The NHSLA does not record whether non-clinical negligence claims are made by patients. Information can only be provided on the basis of claims by patients for clinical negligence.
	3.Figures for Romford are for claims attributed to Harold Wood hospital and Old Church hospital. Figures for Havering are for claims attributed to Harold Wood Hospital, Old Church hospital and Havering primary care trust. Figures for Essex cover bodies and institutions under Essex Strategic Health Authority (SHA). Figures for London cover bodies and institutions under the five London SHAs. Figures for England cover all bodies and institutions in England.

Prescription Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the limits for exemption from prescription charges under the NHS low income scheme based on capital assets were last reviewed.

Rosie Winterton: The capital assets limits for exemption from prescription charges and other health costs under the national health service low income scheme are based on the Department of Work and Pensions income support arrangements for people of all ages, except that limit which applies to people who live permanently in a care home. This limit is based on local authority care home charging arrangements.
	The income support capital limits are kept under continual review. The capital limit amounts for those people under 60 have been unchanged since April 1988 and for those for people over aged 60 since April 2001.
	The capital limit for people living permanently in a care home is reviewed annually and last changed in April 2004.

Prescription Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many prescription items were dispensed and paid for by the patient on a per item basis in England in 200304;
	(2)  how many prescription items were dispensed in England in 200304;
	(3)  what (a) the average cost per prescription item and (b) the dispensing fee in the NHS in England was in 200304.

Rosie Winterton: In the financial year 200304, 659.4 million prescription items were dispensed in the community in England. Of these, 58.5 million, were for patients who paid a charge at the point of dispensing.
	The average net ingredient cost per prescription item in 200304 was 11.62. The dispensing fee is 96.4 pence.

Prescription Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total income from prescription charge pre-payment certificates in England was in 200304.

Rosie Winterton: In 200304 the total income from prescription charge pre-payment certificates in England was 62.4 million.

Prescription Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of requiring patients to pay a single prescription charge when their medical condition requires two or more medicines or treatments; and if he will estimate the cost in terms of (a) revenue foregone and (b) administrative costs incurred.

Rosie Winterton: It is not possible to estimate the cost of requiring patients to pay a single prescription charge when their medical condition requires two or more medicines or treatments, as information about the relevant medical conditions is not available.
	It is possible to estimate the cost if patients were to only pay one prescription charge per prescription form (regardless of how many items are on the form). In 200304, it is estimated that the potential prescription charge income, if only one prescription charge per prescription form was incurred, would be around 290 million. This would mean a loss in prescription charge revenue of around 76 million, based on the current practice of a prescription charge being incurred for each prescription item on a form.
	It is not possible to estimate the administrative costs incurred, because the necessary information is not separately identified.

School Nurses

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 4 December 2004, Official Report, column 1080W, to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on school nurses, what information he collects on the recruitment and retention of school nurses; and whether he plans to set a baseline for numbers of school nurses.

John Hutton: The Government collected information on the school nursing workforce in the September 2003 non-medical workforce census but this information was incomplete. Information on the number of school nurses employed in the national health service will be available from the September 2004 non-medical workforce census, expected to be published in March 2005.
	We are providing new funding so that by 2010 every primary care trust (PCT) will be resourced to have at least one, full-time, year round, qualified school nurse working with each cluster or group of primary schools and the related secondary school, taking account of health needs and school populations. School nurses and their teams will be part of the wider health improvement workforce. Roll-out will start from 200607 in the 20 per cent., of PCTs with the worst health and deprivation indicators.

Secure Psychiatric Beds

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many secure psychiatric beds have been available in each of the last eight years.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the average daily number of available beds and their occupancy levels in secure mental illness wards in England in each of the last eight years is shown in the following table.
	
		Average daily number of available and occupied beds, open overnight in secure mental illness wards in England
		
			  Available beds Occupied beds Percentage of occupancy 
		
		
			 199697 1,575 1,414 89.8 
			 199798 1,921 1,566 81.5 
			 199899 1,747 1,578 90.3 
			 19992000 1,882 1,750 92.9 
			 200102 1,848 1,699 92.0 
			 200203 2,064 1,867 90.5 
			 200304 2,557 2,368 92.6 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital Activity Statistics www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/

Smoking Ban

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of pubs in the (a) Northern region and (b) Tees Valley area which serve food which will cease to do so when the smoking ban is implemented.

Melanie Johnson: In the White Paper we estimated that 10 to 30 per cent. of pubs in England might fall into the category of do not prepare food. A regional breakdown of this figure has not been made. We believe that with food providing an increasing proportion of most pubs' turnovers, it is reasonable for the Government to proceed on the assumption that it makes good business sense for pub owners to continue to serve food. We will consult widely on this area in drawing up the detailed legislation.

Specialised Burns Unit

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has for the (a) budget, (b) location and (c) planned commencement of activities of the specialised burns services unit in the south west region;
	(2)  when the final decisions on a specialised burns services unit in the south west will be taken;
	(3)  what criteria his Department is using to determine the location of a specialist burns services unit in the south west;
	(4)  what plans he has for the reconfiguration of specialist burns services.

John Hutton: The national burn care group, which is considering options for reconfiguration of specialist burns services across England and Wales, is being led by the national health service. Decisions have not yet been made regarding the development of burn care centres; any proposals for change will be submitted to a full public consultation process, probably in the summer of 2005.

Stourcare Call Centre (Paediatric Training)

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the staff at the Stourcare Call Centre have paediatric training, broken down by (a) staff grade and (b) register grade.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Strategic Health Authorities

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 21 December 2004, Official Report, column 1688W, on strategic health authorities, if he will publish the most recent in-year financial forecasts of all (a) strategic health authorities, (b) primary care trusts and (c) national health service trusts in England where this information is available locally.

John Hutton: The Department does not routinely collect information, which may form part of local reporting arrangements by individual organisations. In providing answers to parliamentary correspondence about specific organisations the Department may request the managing strategic health authority to provide this information where relevant.

Temporary Medical Staff

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 16 December 2004, Official Report, column 1329W, on temporary medical staff, what the figures are for each NHS trust for the equivalent period.

John Hutton: Information relating to the total cost of temporary nurses, doctors and all staff in each national health service trust in England in each year since 1997 has been placed in the Library.

Waiting Times

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to monitor waiting times for follow-up appointments for patients following completion of their in-patient procedure; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of the maximum 18-week waiting target, as described in the NHS Improvement Plan, column 6268, paragraph 2.11, on waiting-times for follow-up appointments;
	(2)  what mechanisms he plans to use to monitor progress towards meeting the 18-week maximum waiting target by 2008, as described in the NHS Improvement Plan, column 6268, paragraph 2.11;
	(3)  what elements of the patient journey are monitored for the purposes of assessing waiting times; what plans he has to measure waiting times for diagnostic tests; and what plans he has to introduce monitoring for all other elements of the patient journey.

John Hutton: The Department currently monitors waiting times from general practitioner referral to first out-patient appointment and from consultant referral to in-patient or day case treatment. However, by the end of 2008, waiting times will be measured from GP referral to start of treatment. This will include any necessary diagnostic tests or procedures.
	Progress towards meeting the 18-week target from GP referral to start of treatment will be monitored against local delivery plans. Strategic health authorities and primary care trusts are currently developing their plans and these will be agreed with the Department in the spring.
	There are no plans nationally to monitor waiting times for follow-up appointments after in-patient treatment. Trusts are expected to continue to offer follow up appointments as clinically appropriate.